By Emma Stong, ASDOH ’19
Elections finally came to an end last month (thankfully) and aside from all of the drama that occurred, four ADA members were elected into congress. Dr. Drew Ferguson, from Georgia, was newly elected into the position to represent the state’s 3rdcongressional district. Dr. Mike Simpson was reelected as a representative for Idaho, which was his 10th reelection. Dr. Brian Babin was reelected to represent Texas 36th, and Arizona’s own Dr. Paul Gosar was reelected to represent the 4th district for his fourth term. In their service as congressmen to this point, Simpson, Babin and Gosar have been advocates for oral health and sponsored many bills to support this effort. The newly elected congressmen each won their respective election by a landslide. I guess not everyone hates the dentist after all.
These four members will be able to have a voice at the national level, not only for state issues, but also for dental and oral health issues. Being that the state of Arizona is currently processing a sunrise application for dental therapists, Rep. Paul Gosar can be our voice at a national level, bringing attention to issues such as this and much more.
I find it important to stay updated on these election outcomes as the world of dentistry is ever changing, along with our nation. The election of the four ADA members hopefully keeps the small business practices and oral health care in mind.
Election Information from: http://www.ada.org/en/advocacy/adpac/adpac-2016-election-center?source=VanityURL2016
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