Tips for a Successful Visit with Your Elected Representatives

AAPD Congressional Liaison Heber Simmons Jr. shares his 20-plus years of experience connecting with members of Congress. This presentation was filmed at the 2020 Pediatric Oral Health Advocacy Conference in Washington, DC. Heber’s wisdom is universal.

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The password to view is AAPD

More than 600 of your colleagues are already participating in the AAPD Grass Roots Network (formerly known as “E-Advocates”). The Grass Roots Network will be the first to get Advocacy Action Alerts on national legislative and regulatory issues affecting children’s oral health. Members of the Grass Roots Network are also our “go-to” members for delivering PAC contributions, hosting fundraisers, and inviting legislators to a REAL pediatric dental office so they can see what it’s all about.  

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ADVOCACY TRAINING: A Guide to Assist Programs in Developing Curricula to Address Standard 4.26 and 4.27 on Advocacy

In 2013, the principle of oral health advocacy was incorporated into pediatric dental education, challenging both uni­versity-based and hospital-based programs to develop and implement didactic and clinical com­ponents into their curriculum. The goal was to provide residents with the knowledge and skills necessary to incorporate the service of advocacy as an integral aspect of pediatric dental care. Advocacy educa­tion during residency provides a distinctive opportunity for the pediatric dentists-in-training to explore issues that affect their patient population, identify available resources, become involved with mentors and organizations experienced in oral health advocacy, and ultimately, to under­stand their responsibilities to support and promote necessary change. This guide describes elements of an advocacy curriculum for advanced training programs intended to help fashion an educational experience to meet accreditation requirements and to graduate pediatric dentists able to provide this aspect of care for children.

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This presentation folder contains pictures of children in oral health need, to assist your advocates as they meet with legislators. State and district chapters can also supplement the presentation with written materials concerning their own specific legislative activities at the state level. The presentation folder is modeled on the "Red Notebook" used during the monthly Congressional visits of AAPD Congressional Liaison Heber Simmons Jr. To obtain the folder or an electronic copy of the pictures, please contact Margaret Bjerklie at mbjerklie@aapd.org.