Why It Matters

The American Dental Association (ADA) is ramping up federal lobbying amid pressure on multiple fronts: proposed tariffs on Chinese-sourced dental supplies, funding threats to oral health research and programs, and new cybersecurity compliance requirements.

By the Numbers

ADA spent $1.1 million on in-house lobbying in the second quarter of 2026, up sharply from $243,780 in the first quarter, and it generated $1,973,780 in total revenue from lobbying activities over the past year. The group's in-house team expanded to nine registered lobbyists in the second quarter, adding Jeffrey Wood.

The Agenda

Within these bills, the group sought funding for federal oral health prevention programs, dental research through the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Veterans Affairs dental services, health resources and services administration oral health workforce programs, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention oral health activities, and Indian Health Service dental programs.

The association also lobbied on tariffs affecting dental medical devices, consumables, and personal protective equipment. Additional tariffs on China raised rates to 54% from 20%, and suppliers are expected to pass these additional costs down the supply chain to dental practices. Many dental supplies ,including personal protective equipment, disposable items, and instruments, are sourced from Chinese manufacturers.

Beyond appropriations, the group addressed workforce policy tied to H-1B visa changes, Medicaid adult dental benefits and protections, Medicare Advantage dental coverage transparency, and eligibility of oral health products for health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts. The association also lobbied on proposed changes to the HIPAA Security Rule and Privacy Rule. The proposed HIPAA security rule includes a 240-day compliance window once finalized and raises the bar for how organizations must protect electronic protected health information by making security measures mandatory and introducing stricter technical and documentation requirements.

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