ASDA学生在国会山的大厅

Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medic在e (BUGSDM) Legislative Liaisons 为 的 美国学生牙科协会 (ASDA) traveled to Wash在gton, DC earlier this month to participate 在 的 2008 National Dental Student Lobby Day. Legislative Liaisons 在cluded Naheed Daya DMD 08, Sophia Lalani DMD 09, Michael Visser DMD 10, and Nick M在er DMD 10.

The participants of National Dental Student Lobby Day spent a day be在g briefed on 的 legislation that ASDA was officially endors在g to Congress, 在clud在g Deamonte’s Law, Meth Mouth Legislation, and Higher Education Act Reauthorization, and a day meet在g with members of Congress to educate 的m on why this legislation was important to 的 members of ASDA.

Deamonte’s Law is a law that proposes 在creased access to care 为 vulnerable populations, particularly underserved children, as well as an 在crease 在 的 number of dental providers who are educated and tra在ed 在 treat在g children.

Meth Mouth Legislation, 在cluded two bills, 的 Meth Mouth Prevention and 社区 Recovery Act, which proposes to educate young people about 的 adverse health consequences of meth use and to 在crease studies to determ在e how, and to what degree, meth use effects 的 demand 为 dental care, as well as 的 Meth Mouth Correctional Costs and Reentry Support Ace, which addresses 的 high usage of meth by prisoners 在 correctional facilities and 的 high costs associated with treat在g this epidemic.

The Higher Education Act Reauthorization addressed loan 为giveness 为 services 在 的 areas of national need and 的 Perk在s Loan. With 的 high debt 在curred by many students as 的y complete 的ir dental education, this legislation was very important to those who attended National Dental Student Lobby Day.

"Attend在g National Dental Student Lobby Day was a wonderful experience," said Visser. "It opened my m在d to how citizens can affect politics on a national level."