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Advocacy

AADOCR actively engages in federal legislative affairs and advocacy to advance dental, oral, and craniofacial research and further biomedical research initiatives. Our Government Affairs team monitors legislative and regulatory actions and coordinates the advocacy activities of the organization. We also collaborate with our partners in the dental and oral health community, and participate in various medical research and science coalitions to advance our policy agenda.

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Take Action

AADOCR encourages its members to engage with their elected officials and educate them about issues affecting dental, oral, and craniofacial research and the delivery of oral health care. Policymakers need to be informed of the important biomedical advances that are being made due to federal research investments and how those advances improve the lives of their constituents. Help protect the scientific enterprise and improve the nation's oral health by making your voice heard.

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Advocacy Day

Each spring, AADOCR partners with the Friends of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (FNIDCR) to bring researchers; dental school educators and students; and other patient advocates to the nation’s capital to meet directly with members of Congress. The event provides the oral health research community an opportunity to meet with congressional appropriators and other lawmakers about the importance of federal funding for dental research and oral health programs. Registration for Advocacy Day 2026 opens in summer 2025.

Advocacy Resources

View AADOCR advocacy resources, including fact sheets, our federal funding requests, and guides for interacting with policymakers. These materials will help you take action and communicate to your elected officials the importance of dental, oral, and craniofacial research, and other oral health issues.

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Friends of NIDCR

The Friends of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (FNIDCR) is a broad-based coalition of academic and research institutions, professional associations and foundations that champion the Institute and work together to 1) support oral health research and 2) transfer oral health research from bench to bedside.

Advocacy Updates

Opportunities

Interested in taking action or learning more about advocacy efforts?

Yehuda Sugarman

Director of Government Affairs

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