Recognizing the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution in Baltimore, Maryland, as the official national museum of dentistry in the United States.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I concur with the chairman's sentiments about a dental plan.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Joint Resolution 52, which recognizes the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution in Baltimore, Maryland, as the official national museum of dentistry in the United States.

Let me acknowledge from the outset the hard work of the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings), who is the primary introducer of this bill, along with all of the members of the Maryland delegation. The gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) is unable to be here this afternoon. He is attending the funeral services of Mervyn Jones, the husband of our beloved colleague and dear friend and classmate of mine, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones).

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin).

Madam Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from Maryland and the former Speaker of their House for his insight and elaborating on the history of this outstanding museum.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

The Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry is a state-of- the-art facility, as both the chairman and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin) have pointed out. It is a state-of-the-art facility that uses innovative communication tools to deliver its message about proper oral health care.

Its permanent exhibition, ``32 Terrific Teeth,'' extends over 7,000 square feet on two floors of the building. It provides a vast array of historical artifacts, as has been mentioned; and it is especially important for children. I was particularly glad to hear the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin) talk about the tooth fairy, because we hope that the tooth fairy is kind to the Members and all of the employees with regard to a dental plan here, so I concur with the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) as well.

I am very proud, as well, of my home State of Connecticut that has its own place in the annals of dental history in this country. Three people in particular, I believe, deserve appropriate recognition for their Yankee ingenuity and for providing outstanding contributions to the field of dentistry: Horace Hayden, who was the first dean of the dental school in Baltimore; Horace Wells, who is the father of anesthesia; and also James McManus, who is one of the leading members on the Connecticut Dental Society who established a scholarship fund at the time for $10,000 that is now worth more than $1 million, and provides an opportunity for those people seeking to enter the field of dentistry.

I would also like to thank two dentists from my district hailing from the great community of West Hartford: both Dr. Bill MacDonnell and Dr. Paula

Stern, both who have practices in dentistry in West Hartford, Connecticut, for their dedication to their field and their commitment to make sure that this kind of important legislation was supported and passed. I would also like to further thank Beth Bellizzi from my staff for providing some of the key research in this area. I urge unanimous passage of this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.J. Res. 52, which recognizes the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution in Baltimore, Maryland, as the official national museum of dentistry in the United States.

The Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry is a state-of- the-art facility that uses innovative communication tools to deliver its message about proper oral health care. Its permanent exhibition, ``32 Terrific Teeth,'' extends over 7,000 square feet on two floors of the building. It provides a vast array of historical artifacts, interactive exhibitions, life-sized models and recreated environments. Tour programs especially for children and theme-based family programs help young people understand the everyday importance of dentistry.

I am very proud that my home state of Connecticut has its own place in the annals of dental history in this country. Three people in particular used their Yankee ingenuity and determination to provide outstanding contributions to the field of dentistry.

Horace Hayden, born in Windsor, sought to raise the academic bar for the next generation of dentists. In 1840, he became dean of the first United States dental college, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery. One of the buildings on the college's former campus now houses the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry, which is located on the Baltimore campus of the University of Maryland. Dean Hayden's educational achievement is commemorated in a monument in his home town of Windsor.

Four years after Dean Hayden began to shape the future of dental education, Horace Wells made a discovery that would forever change the way dental treatments are performed. Dr. Wells, who was from Hartford, discovered anesthesia in December 1844. Dr. Wells was declared the ``discoverer of anesthesia'' by the Connecticut Legislature in 1848, by the American Dental Association in 1863, and by the American Medical Association in 1870. A statue of Dr. Wells and a plaque noting the location of his office remind all who visit Hartford of his incredible contribution.

Unlike his dental colleagues Hayden and Wells, who made a significant impact in their lifetime, Dr. James McManus led a life of quiet dedication. Dr. McManus, a Hartford resident, was the first president of the Connecticut State Dental Association. His wife was so inspired by his devotion to the field of dentistry that she established a $10,000 endowment in his name. Her loving gift is now worth close to $1 million dollars. Among its many contributions, the James McManus Fund of the Hartford Dental Society provides dental scholarships and operates the Smile Mobile, which travels to dozens of schools every year to teach children about proper dental health. In addition, the James McManus Fund of the Hartford Dental Society and the Horace Wells Club of Connecticut are founding benefactors of the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry.

I'm sure these three dental pioneers could never have imagined the challenges today's dentists face in their effort to keep patients healthy. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), tooth decay is not just a child's problem. Adults of all ages can have cavities, too. Dentists are concerned that sugar-filled sodas, sweetened fruit drinks, and non-nutritious snack foods have become a regular part of their patients' diets. The ADA also notes that eating patterns and food choices among children and teens are important factors that affect how quickly youngsters may develop tooth decay.

Equally as alarming is the link that scientists are making between oral health problems and other diseases in the body. In the July 31, 2003 online edition of the journal Stroke, researchers found that the more teeth a person has lost, the more likely he or she is to have both advanced periodontal infections and potentially clogging plaques in the carotid artery, the vessel that feeds the brain.

Good dental care can be achieved, but not without education. That is why the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry is such a vital resource, and why it should be designated as the official national museum of dentistry. Furthermore, this designation will highlight the critical public health role of the dental community.

I would like to thank two dentists from my district who assisted me in my research of Connecticut's dental history: Dr. William A. MacDonnell and Dr. Paula D. Stern, both of whom practice dentistry in West Hartford, Connecticut. Their dedication to the field of dentistry and commitment to their patients would make the Connecticut dental mavericks they followed--Hayden, Wells, and McManus--very proud.

I would also like to thank my colleague, Representative Elijah Cummings for introducing this bill, which acknowledges the valuable education the museum provides. He has long supported this tremendous learning institution. I know he would be joining me on the floor today to urge its passage, but he is attending the funeral of the husband of our deal colleague, Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 52) recognizing the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution in Baltimore, Maryland, as the official national museum of dentistry in the United States.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I am pleased to rise today to offer for this body's consideration House Joint Resolution 52 to recognize the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry located in Baltimore, Maryland, as the official national museum of dentistry in the United States. I want to thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) for introducing the bill.

This museum is the most comprehensive dental museum in the world. It is a resource whose primary mission is to educate people, especially children, about the history of dentistry and the importance of good oral hygiene. It uses state-of-the-art interactive exhibitions and expert presentations to deliver the message that oral health is important to achieve overall health.

The museum is affiliated with the University of Maryland at Baltimore, home of the world's first dental school, founded in 1840. It contains hundreds of interesting and significant dental artifacts, including George Washington's dentures. It also serves as a national center of learning with an extensive library from which scholars may study the evolution of dental treatment and learn of the numerous accomplishments of the dental treatment and learn of the numerous accomplishments of the dental profession over the years.

Most importantly, this museum is a reminder to all of us that oral and general health are inseparable and that good dental care is critical to our overall physical health and well-being. While oral health in America has improved dramatically over the last 50

years, these improvements have not occurred evenly across all sectors of our population. Too many Americans today lack access to dental care, particularly in rural communities. According to the report, ``Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General,'' an estimated 25 million Americans live in areas lacking adequate dental services.

Passage of this resolution to make the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry the official national museum of dentistry in the United States will shed light on the problem many Americans face in accessing dental care.

The museum is endorsed by the American Dental Association, the National Dental Association, the American Dental Education Association, the American College of Dentists, the International College of Dentists, and the American Academy of the History of Dentistry, as well as 50 State dental associations. So we can see it has great support.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) for supporting this important measure. I should also note, Madam Speaker, that the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Linder) has been not only a coauthor but a great supporter of this bill and was scheduled to actually manage the bill today, but our schedule went more quickly than we thought, so I just wanted to mention his support of the bill.

In closing, I cannot help but say also, I hope that someday the staff of the U.S. House of Representatives has a dental plan.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume just to also make a note on behalf of our Ohio delegation, of course, and the entire U.S. House of our sympathy for the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones), our colleague, on the loss of her wonderful husband.

I would also just restate for the record, this is a very good bill. And I thank the gentleman from Maryland, (Mr. Cummings), the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson); and I would be remiss if I did not close by thanking my dentist, Dr. Ron Persutti in Saint Clairsville, Ohio. Sometimes I have told Dr. Persutti that I am not sure if I get votes because of how I vote or sometimes because of what he does to help with my smile. So with that, I urge support of the bill.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure and pride that I rise today to speak in favor of my resolution, H.J. Res. 52, to recognize the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry, located in Baltimore, Maryland, as the official national museum of dentistry in the United States.

This resolution has the strong support of every major dental association including the American Dental Association and the National Dental Association.

The museum is located in my district and is the most comprehensive dental museum in the world. Its focus is to remind people--especially children--about the importance of good oral health care. For seven years now, it has been a learning center for scores of children's groups in and around the City of Baltimore, as well as those visiting. It uses extraordinary exhibitions and expert presentations to deliver the message that oral health is important to achieve overall health. Children love its message and respond by being more aware of their own oral health care needs.

An estimated 5,000 school children visit the museum each school year, touring the new interactive exhibitions and discovering the wonders of dental history. In addition, over 10,000 visitors from across the Nation encounter this interactive, educational and entertaining museum.

The museum's traveling exhibitions reach national audiences, providing a resource to expand public awareness of the importance of oral health in overall health. Branches, Bristles and Batteries: Toothbrushes Through Time teaches families about the evolution of the toothbrush and how to achieve good oral health through engaging interactive stations and high-tech computer programs. The exhibition will reach approximately 2 million visitors during a national three- year tour of children's and science museums.

Temporary exhibitions keep the museum alive and help to highlight important dental issues and celebrate the great heritage of dentistry. Currently, The Future is Now! African Americans in Dentistry pays tribute to the movers and shakers who paved the way for African Americans' success as dental professionals through dramatic portraits, moving memoirs and inspirational stories. The exhibit demonstrates the tremendous gains of dentistry over the past 30 years, promoting the message that there remains much to do to increase diversity in dentistry and recruit African American dental faculty and improve access to health care. The exhibition will become the museum's second traveling exhibition beginning a national tour in Fall 2004. Presenting this exhibit to a wide national audience will create a new awareness of opportunities and challenges and present positive role models of the profession, both past and present.

The museum offers educational programming, such as MouthPower, enabling young people to make informed choices about their oral health that have a positive effect on their overall health. Using the museum's unique resources, MouthPower participants understand the meaning of good oral health and become aware of the role oral health plays in overall health, learn the benefits of good nutrition and the harmful effects of tobacco and other substances on oral health and become aware of career options in dentistry. The positive outcomes from this program include a stronger sense of self that will help prevent participants from becoming addicted to smoking or using spit tobacco products and also will encourage

family members and friends to abstain. Through a partnership with the American Dental Association, the program will be available nationally with the addition of a web-based version and a resource kit for dental professionals to use in their community.

Designating the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of dentistry the official national museum of dentistry in the United States will ensure the education of thousands of Americans about the importance of dental care.

I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this national treasure by passing H.J. Res. 52.

Thank you and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, let me thank the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) for yielding me this time and for the work that he has done on this resolution in pointing out that the principal sponsor, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings), who introduced this resolution, could not be here today because of attending the funeral for the spouse of one of our colleagues. Let me also thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) for his leadership on this issue.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.J. Res. 52, which recognizes the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry as the official national museum of dentistry in the United States.

For many years, the importance of oral health has been underestimated. Only in recent years have we recognized that, in the words of the former Surgeon General, C. Everett Koop, ``There is no health without oral health.''

We have learned the important linkage between plaque and heart disease; that chewing stimulates brain cell growth; and that gum disease can signal diabetes, liver ailments, and hormone imbalances. Yet many Americans are still unaware of how critical oral health hygiene is to good health care. Despite our advances in reducing dental disease, one in five American children still suffer the devastating effects of severe tooth decay. I am proud that in Baltimore, Maryland, the Dr. Samuel D. Harris Museum of Dentistry is helping to reverse this epidemic by spreading the message that preventive dental health for children is key.

Dr. Samuel Harris is a retired pediatric dentist who was born in the Ukraine and educated at the University of Michigan. He once said of the museum he helped found, ``Our main purpose must be to educate, to teach people, especially children, something important about themselves. That way they live not only longer, but better, healthier lives. I think that is a noble goal.''

One visit to the National Museum of Dentistry in Baltimore is proof that Dr. Harris's goal has not only been met, it has been surpassed.

Located at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry in Baltimore, the first dental school in the Nation, the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry opened in 1996. The museum's permanent exhibits feature a display of historic dental tools, including the first known toothbrush made out of twigs. Among its most famous artifacts, as pointed out by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney), are several sets of George Washington's ivory dentures and Queen Victoria's personal dental instruments.

The museum also contains the actual office of Dr. G. V. Black, who is known as the ``father of American dentistry.'' Children especially like the tooth-shaped jukebox that plays vintage toothpaste commercials, computers that teach tooth anatomy, several interactive displays on oral health, and an extensive library of children's books, including several histories about the tooth fairy. One of my favorite exhibits is the scaled-down dentistry office where children can don smocks and review an x-ray panel as they play dentist and examine each other's or their parents' teeth.

Each year, more than 10,000 visitors pass through its doors, including 4,000 schoolchildren. In addition to school and family programs, the museum hosts a variety of symposia for adults and dental health professionals, attracting visitors from across the Nation. Over the years, it has become an invaluable resource for understanding the history of dentistry and the importance of oral care.

I want to thank the House for considering this resolution, which recognizes the museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, as the Official National Museum of Dentistry in the United States. I urge all of my colleagues to visit the museum in nearby Baltimore or its Web site at www.dentalmuseum.org, and to support this resolution.

Mr. President, H.J. Res. 52 recognizes the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry in Baltimore as the official national museum of dentistry in the United States. It passed the House unanimously and is a companion measure to legislation I introduced in the Senate, together with Senator Mikulski, S.J. Res. 12.

The principal purpose of this legislation is to help educate the public about the critical importance of oral health

to the overall health of all Americans. Three years ago, U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher issued a comprehensive report entitled ``Oral Health in America,'' which identified the problem of dental and oral disease as a ``silent epidemic'' facing the country. The report called for the development of a National Oral Health Plan, and recommended that actions be taken to ``change perceptions regarding oral health and disease so that oral health becomes an accepted component of general health.'' By designating an official national museum and learning center dedicated to dentistry, this legislation takes an important step toward the achievement of this goal.

The Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry is the largest and most comprehensive museum of dentistry in this country, and, indeed, the world. An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum sits on the grounds of the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, founded in 1840 as the world's first dental college. With over 7,000 square feet of exhibit space, the Museum showcases the people, objects, and events that created and defined the dental profession, including one of George Washington's famed ivory dentures. The Museum's vast archives also act as an important resource for research and serious academic study of dentistry's past, with a unique collection of historical dental journals and other one-of-a-kind documents.

By designating the Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry as the official national museum of dentistry, we will not only recognize the critical role that dentists and oral health professionals have played in the history of our Nation's health care system, but enhance awareness and understanding of the importance of dentistry to public health.

I urge adoption of the legislation.