Dental Emergency Responder Act Of 2011

Floor Speech

* Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 570, the Dental Emergency Responder Act. H.R. 570 will allow states to incorporate the valuable resources and knowledge of dentists and dental facilities into their emergency and disaster planning. This legislation is long overdue and will enable our state governments to take an ``all hands on deck'' approach when it comes to disaster response.

* As a trained dentist, I know that dental students receive a great deal of general medical training during the course of their education. As a result, dentists are skilled at patient interviews, diagnostic evaluations, triage, suturing, infection control measures, wound dressing, bloodborne pathogens, administration of medications both intravenously and orally, and basic emergency care, to give just a few examples. Indeed, some dentists receive additional training in oral surgery and are specially trained to address emergent trauma to the maxillofacial areas. Despite these qualifications, the National Health Security Strategy precludes states from including dentists and dental schools in their disaster planning framework. This is a serious omission and an unnecessary one. H.R. 570 would strike this language, and without imposing a federal mandate would permit states to evaluate how dentistry can be helpful in times of crisis and public emergencies.

* The Dental Emergency Responder Act is a concept whose time has come, and I urge my colleagues in both the House and Senate to support this important legislation.

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