The Erosion of American Dental Health Standards

THE EROSION OF AMERICAN DENTAL HEALTH STANDARDS -- (Extensions of Remarks - October 06, 2005)

* Mr. NORWOOD. Mr. Speaker, when this House passed CAFTA, I objected to provisions that overturn the state licensing standards of doctors and dentists.

* I was told that my fears--and those of the American Dental Association--were unfounded.

* This, in spite of the fact CAFTA contains clauses that allow foreign dentists to challenge U.S. licensing standards in international tribunals.

* Then according to the September 16 San Antonio Express, we had the CDC ``working feverishly'' to allow Mexican dentists to practice in Texas without a Texas Dental license, as part of Hurricane relief efforts. That is so easy to do under NAFTA.

* Everyone realizes disaster relief is a unique situation. We must also realize that a precedent is now set--the U.S. Government stating that Mexican health care providers be allowed to circumvent our state licensing standards.

* We can fully expect this precedent to be cited in future cases by those CAFTA tribunals.

* Now we also have U.S. citizens without dental licenses, without even dental degrees, being allowed to circumvent the state licensing process in Alaska.

* The Federal government has decided to overrule the Alaska Board of Dental Examiners, and to instead create a new federal license--a Dental Health Aide license.

* According to the September 10 Anchorage Daily News, the Alaska Attorney General has ruled that these new federal regulations preempt state health licensing laws.

* This allows dental health aides to practice in Native Health Clinics with licenses granted by the federal Community Health Aide Certification Board instead of the State of Alaska.

* We again recognize a unique situation of remote Native villages.

* However, as a licensed Dental Surgeon, I can testify to my colleagues that many of the procedures performed by dentists are surgical procedures, which should be performed only by someone who has graduated from an accredited dental school and is licensed to do so by their state.

* There is a real need for dental health aides in remote locations for disease prevention and detection services, and coordinating necessary surgical care with a licensed dentist when needed.

* The ADA and the Alaska Board of Dental Examiners have supported an expanded role for dental health aides in this limited and properly coordinated capacity.

* But once again the Federal government has chosen to disagree and set a new precedent that undermines our historic dental licensing standards.

* Mr. Speaker, dental health care quality is now on a very slippery slope as a result of these federal actions.

* We need look no further than our southern border to see where this downhill slide will lead if we continue.

* In the Mexican border towns, dental care costs less than half of what we pay here in the United States.

* But according to travel industry warnings, 60% of those performing dental services are not properly licensed or trained, even by Mexican standards.

* Accessing quality care under these eroded licensing conditions is simply a matter of luck of the draw.

* In spite of the need to improve the overall American health care system, there is one thing we can all be proud of--we have the highest quality health care in the world.

* And here is an awesome fact to consider as to the origins of these unparalleled quality standards.

* The Federal government didn't have one darn thing to do with them.

* They came entirely from the minds and hearts of physicians and dentists, who wanted to improve the quality of health care delivery and their professions.

* They did so in the most appropriate way--through the states.

* The licenses to practice medicine and dentistry throughout our Nation's history have been granted virtually exclusively by the States, not the Federal government.

* Now the Federal government, which has convoluted and corrupted public health policy in countless instances, wants to slither into licensing--then share the spoils in trade agreements and international tribunals.

* No one can doubt that there will be continuing harmonization of standards across many industries with our international trading partners.

* But this body needs to resolve that at least in health care, the United States will lead that process, rather than follow.

* We should export our standards--the highest, the toughest, the noblest in the world--rather than import incompetence, charlatanism, infection, and death.

* Mr. Speaker, we don't need unqualified dental health aides cutting into people in Alaska.

* We don't need to accept Mexican and Guatemalan dental licenses in Texas or Georgia, licenses highly likely to have been issued from the nearest false document mill spawned by illegal immigration.

* Ironically, this body doesn't really need to do anything, other than keep the bureaucrats of the Federal government and the New World Order out of the way of our 50 sovereign States.

* And it's past time we started doing just that.

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