TEAM 1500 Urges ADA Members to Phone Their Delegates to Protest Proposed Guidelines for Sedation Dentists

DENVER, Oct. 19, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- TEAM 1500, a public-interest coalition of more than 1,500 healthcare providers and others concerned with patient rights, is urging all American Dental Association members to phone their district delegates this week to protest proposed revisions to the group's guidelines governing sedation dentistry.

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Call-to-Action details can be found on TEAM 1500's website, including a state-by-state listing of ADA House of Delegates members and their contact information. Visit: http://www.team1500.org/cta2.html

At this November's ADA Convention in Washington, DC, House of Delegates members will vote on newly proposed guidelines that, according to TEAM 1500, will determine the future - and viability - of moderate enteral sedation as a method for treating fearful and anxious patients.

"The recommendations up for a vote are seriously flawed and, if passed by the House of Delegates, will damage both the dental profession and the health of the public," says Dean Rotbart, who is heading the TEAM 1500 campaign in opposition to the new recommendations.

Rotbart notes that many ADA members are unaware of the controversy surrounding the proposed changes. "We need to reach out to them, in force, and voice our concerns. We urge all dentists to call your ADA district representatives and encourage them to vote against the guidelines," Rotbart says.

Team 1500 has prepared a short overview of the reasons why thousands of dedicated general dentists – who always put patient safety first – strenuously oppose the ADA's proposed revisions to its "Guidelines for the Use of Sedation and General Anesthesia by Dentists."  The briefing is available at:  http://www.team1500.org/briefing.html

Rotbart emphasizes that the proposed ADA revisions are "about dental politics – not patient safety," adding that millions of dental patients have been treated safely, effectively, and – without incident, by general dentists who comply with the existing ADA guidelines.

If the proposed ADA guidelines are adopted and then enacted by state dental regulators, many dental patients will find that the cost of standard oral health care will rise sharply.

"These guidelines discriminate against patients in lower income brackets," Rotbart explains.  "Sedation dentistry should not become something only well-heeled patients can afford."

Because ADA district caucuses begin very soon, TEAM 1500 is asking ADA members to phone their ADA district representatives this week. "There is no time to wait," Rotbart says.

Media contact:
Dean Rotbart
303-800-6081

SOURCE TEAM 1500