On April 30, 2026, the Organized Dentistry Coalition (ODC) wrote a letter to Congressional Appropriations leaders urging support for critical federal oral health expertise in key federal agencies as decisions are made regarding the fiscal year (FY) 2027 federal budget. The ODC letter, led by the AAPD and ADA and joined by 13 additional dental organizations, identified oral health resources needed in the Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). Special urgency was highlighted about the need for CMS to promptly fill the Chief Dental Officer (CDO) position. While the Administration’s proposed FY 2027 budget would eliminate HRSA Title VII oral health training programs, AAPD’s advocacy prevented a similar proposal from being adopted for FY 2026. Congress instead increased funding by $500,000 for the Title VII pediatric dentistry program, for a total of $13.5 million. Federal oral health infrastructure was one of the issues raised by AAPD members during Congressional visits on March 9-10, 2026 as part of the Pediatric Oral Health Advocacy Conference (POHAC).