House Passes Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is welcoming House passage Wednesday of the Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act of 2021, H.R. 4555.
This bipartisan bill directs the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to develop an oral health literacy strategy to reach underserved communities. The purpose is to reduce the rise in oral disease, and related illnesses or health issues, by providing oral disease prevention education, including a 5-year oral health literacy campaign. The legislative effort was led by Congressman Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) and Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL).
“This is a good preventative initiative that can lead to better health, and be helpful in American Samoa,” said Amata. “I appreciate the leadership on this effort by Congressman Cárdenas and Congressman Bilirakis.”
Congresswoman Amata and Congressman Bilirakis (file photo)
According to HHS, illnesses related to oral health result in 6.1 million days of bed disability, 12.7 million days of restricted activity, and 20.5 million lost workdays each year. Tooth decay is the most common chronic illness among school-age youth, affecting roughly 1 in 4 children. In 2012, almost 1 in 5 Americans 65 and older had untreated cavities, and over 40% had gum disease. However, most oral health ailments can be avoided by increasing oral health literacy. Under the Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act, HRSA will develop strategies to provide advice on the outcomes and effectiveness of targeted oral health literacy campaigns, and ways to improve future efforts to achieve oral health literacy for all Americans, with an emphasis on children to ensure they develop and maintain healthy habits into adulthood.
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