Gadsden dentist testifies before Senate committee on dental care

WASHINGTON — Addressing the efforts of dentists and their efforts to reach underserved populations, a Gadsden dentist testified before a U.S. Senate committee Thursday on making dental care more affordable.

Dr. Gordon Isbell III, introduced by U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, addressed the HELP (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) Committee on “Examining the Dental Care Crisis in America: How can we make Dental Care More Affordable and More Available?”

“Research continues to highlight the importance of dental care to overall well-being, but also shows the inequities in access to dental care,” Isbell said. “The AGD (Academy of General Dentistry) is committed to addressing these inequities by leveraging the abilities of private practice general dentists. I recognize that the committee has a broad jurisdiction with many important issues to focus on, and so I applaud you for your focus on oral health care.”

Isbell has practiced general dentistry since 1981. He is also on staff at the Gadsden Regional Hospital and Riverview Regional Hospital.

“He’s spent years advocating for dentists, their patients, and their communities,” Tuberville said in his introduction. “Dr. Isbell will bring an important perspective to this hearing – that of a practicing dentist in a community and state with many wide-ranging health care challenges. Dr. Isbell provides charitable care to his community through his involvement with Donated Dental Services, Mission of Mercies, and Regional Access Missions Programs.”

Isbell addressed the need to ensure access to dental health care and strengthen the private practice of dentistry. His testimony highlighted the connection between oral and systemic health. He explained that AGD is prepared to collaborate on ways to bring awareness to the many challenges facing dentistry, dental patients, and oral health overall.

While addressing these topics, Isbell addressed the four areas the AGD is encouraging Congress to act on:

1. Supporting increased workforce in dentistry (Action on Dental Health Act)
2. Promoting equitable relationships between dentists and insures (Dental and Optometric Care (DOC) Access Act
3. Including the AGD as an approved provider of opioid training under the Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act
4. Promoting oral health literacy (Oral Health Literacy Act)

“… let me be clear,” Isbell said. “We must ensure that the private practice of dentistry is protected and that in our efforts to find solutions to common problems, we do not diminish the care we provide, make it harder to enter into and survive in private dental practice, or dilute the level of services that only fully trained and licensed dentists can and should provide.”

Isbell’s full testimony is available here.