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Mission Statement

To inform and advance research and policy development that will promote optimal children’s oral health and care.

Activities of the Pediatric Oral Health Research and Policy Center

• Conduct oral health policy research that advances children’s oral health issues and supports AAPD public policy and public relations initiatives at the national, state, local, and international levels with legislatures, government agencies, professional associations, and other non-governmental organizations.
• Monitor and reports on state, national, and international data concerning the oral health status and overall health status of children
• Develop and implement special project activities that advance children’s oral health issues and public understanding of such, in accordance with AAPD policies and guidelines
• To produce timely and high quality policy analysis on critical issues impacting children’s oral health.
• To produce useful studies and analysis to further the understanding of practices which will contribute to the oral health of all children

Workforce Issues

New Zealand Government Reports

New Zealand is often touted as an example of how alternative dental providers may impact access to dental services and, ultimately the oral health of children at higher risk of dental disease. The POHRPC has compiled reports published or commissioned by the government of New Zealand that summarize the findings of a national review of the system, detailed information about child oral health inequalities, factors that contribute to these inequalities and recommendations to alleviate these inequalities, and discuss challenges and costs of such a system.

Click here to access these government reports.

AAPD Testifies at FDA Amalgam Hearing

At the ADA's request, the AAPD submitted both written comments for the record and testified in person at hearings on dental amalgam conducted by the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) dental products panel on Dec. 14-15, 2010, in Gaithersburg, Md. AAPD President John R. Liu presented the testimony, for which dental groups like the AAPD were only allotted four minutes while the anti-amalgam groups (who petitioned the FDA for reconsidered of its 2009 final regulation that amalgam was safe) were given much more time and latitude.

FDA Hearing - AAPD Oral Statement
FDA Hearing - AAPD Comments for Docket

The FDA panels did support the 2009 ruling, while recommending additional research. This is not surprising, because despite the presence of knowledgeable dentists on the FDA panel, including pediatric dentist Norman R. Tinanoff (chair of pediatric dentistry at the University of Maryland Baltimore College of Dental Surgery), some non-dentists members of the panel had clear and vocal sympathy for the anti-amalgam arguments. The ADA stated that: "The Association commended an advisory panel’s call for continued research while offering support for the Food and Drug Administration’s current amalgam regulation.The panel found that FDA acted appropriately in ruling last year that dental amalgam is a safe and effective treatment option for the general population." The full ADA statement is available at: http://www.ada.org/5145.aspx.

Dental Town Second Opinion

A Two Tier Standard: Dr. Rhea Haugseth argues against having a two-tiered standard of care for our nation's most vulnerable children.

Dental Town Second Opinion Article

Related Information

AAPD Comment on Water Fluoridation Levels

Policy Center Advisory Board

Expanded Function Dental Assistant Toolkit

State Periodicity Schedules

Contact Information

For additional information contact the Center's Assistant Director Jan Silverman at POHRPC@aapd.org.