ROSEMONT, Ill.--The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons President Jay P. Malmquist, DMD, testified March 30 before the House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies.
On behalf of the association, Dr. Malmquist requested a 5.3% increase in fiscal year 2007 funding for the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.
The $410 million increase is essential to encourage the research studies necessary for the development and advancement of oral and maxillofacial surgical and other dental-related procedures and treatments to improve health care.
Areas which may benefit from the research include bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw, dental pulp and adult derived stem cell research, wound healing, pain management, tissue engineering, minimally invasive surgery and maxillofacial trauma.
"We understand that there is a need to control budget allocations, particularly during a time of war," Dr. Malmquist testified. "However, the conditions and potential treatments I have discussed this morning are those that are too often visited upon our young men and women on the front lines of the battles in Afghanistan and Iraq. A significant percentage of injuries on the battlefront are sustained to the maxillofacial region ... it is the oral and maxillofacial surgeon who is using his or her skill to repair the wounds to these soldiers and bring them home alive.
"With an additional 5.3%, or $410 million, allocated to the NIDCR for collaborative research activities, we can bring the benefits of a healthy and secure future to our citizens and keep the United States healthcare delivery system at the forefront of medicine," he concluded.
