December 28, 2007--New Mexico Business Weekly--- The New Mexico Dental Association will be launching a dental health care public education campaign in 2008 with an accompanying legislative package it said is designed to improve dental health care in the state. The NMDA said in a news release the "Brighter Smiles for New Mexico" campaign will educate citizens and elected officials about the importance of preventive dental health care and promote access to quality oral health care for all New Mexicans. The campaign's accompanying legislative package will feature five legislative pieces: n Legislation to ensure every child visits a dentist before they start school -- to promote the importance of dental health care; n Promoting dental education and greater access by supporting increased dental educational opportunities through expanded funding; n Removal of the state's gross receipts tax on dental/medical services, which the NMDA says will increase access to affordable dental/medical care and eliminate barriers to quality care for the underprivileged; n A patient bill of rights that includes simplifying dental insurance benefits; and n Investing in Medicaid dental benefit rates for patients to prevent disease, avoid costly and expensive future treatment and encourage improved access to full dental care. The campaign will include statewide speaking tours conducted by the Brighter Smiles for New Mexico dental health committee, a new Web site and legislative functions such as the national "Give Kids a Smile Day" event.