Resolution in Support of Oral Health

Summary

Recognizes the importance of oral health to overall health, ensures oral health impact is considered during the development of state policy, supports local, state, and federal efforts to monitor oral health conditions as well as community oral health initiatives, and establishes “Oral Health Awareness Month.”

Model Resolution

WHEREAS, oral health is a critical component of overall health affecting speech, nutrition, growth and function, social development, employability and productivity, and quality of life; and

WHEREAS, dental decay is the most common chronic disease among children – four times more common than asthma, four times more common than early-childhood obesity, and twenty times more common than diabetes; and

WHEREAS, untreated dental disease is linked to adverse health outcomes associated with diabetes, stroke, heart disease, bacterial pneumonia, pre-term and low birth weight deliveries, and in some instances, death; and

WHEREAS, students miss more than 51 million hours of school and employed adults 14 lose more than 164 million hours of work each year due to dental disease or dental visits; and

WHEREAS, dental decay affects 18% of the nation’s children aged 2-4, 52% of children 17 aged 6-8, and 61% of teenagers age 15; and

WHEREAS, access to dental care is associated with higher utilization of preventive and restorative dental services; and

WHEREAS, more can be done for low-income children who suffer more tooth decay than their higher-income peers; and

WHEREAS, {insert state} residents deserve access to high quality oral health care:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that {insert state legislature} hereby:

• Recognizes that good oral health is critical to good overall health;

• Supports health policies at the state and local levels that are consistent and promote optimal oral health;

• Ensures oral health impact is a consideration in the development of state policy;

• Supports the use of available local, state, and federal resources to monitor oral health status;

• Supports community oral health initiatives aimed at improving oral health literacy and better health outcomes;

(6) Recognizes the month of August as “Oral Health Awareness Month” to draw attention to ongoing efforts at the local, state, and federal levels to improve the oral health of all.

Approved by the ALEC Board of Directors January 9, 2015.