National Maternal and Child
Oral Health Resource
Center
This and past issues of the Oral Health Alert: Focus on Head Start are available at http://www.mchoralhealth.org/alert/archives.html.
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1. Improving Oral Health Care for Young Children
This report focuses on financing and work force challenges, describes
promising models of care, and discusses options for policymakers
seeking to improve access to oral health care for young children.
Selected topics include the need for care for young children, Early and
Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment Medicaid dental services
for children, public health measures, and examples of promising models
of care in Washington, Michigan, and North Carolina. The report
concludes with a discussion of policy options at the federal, state,
community, and organization levels for improving oral health for young
children. A state-by-state table of dental benefits in non-Medicaid
State Children's Health Insurance Programs is included as an appendix.
Contact: National Academy for State Health Policy, 50 Monument Square,
Suite 502, Portland, ME 04101. Telephone: (207) 874-6524; fax: (207)
874-6527; e-mail: info@nashp.org;
Web site: http://www.nashp.org.
Available at no charge from the Web site at http://www.nashp.org/Files/Improving_Oral_Health.pdf.
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2. Medicaid: Concerns Remain About Sufficiency of Data
for Oversight Of Children's Dental Services
This testimony examines the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services'
(CMS's) oversight of oral health care for children from families with
low incomes who are enrolled in Medicaid. The testimony is based on the
following: (1) reports that the Government Accountability Office (GAO)
issued from 2000 to 2003; (2) interviews conducted in April 2007 with
officials from CMS, state Medicaid programs (i.e., California,
Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Washington), and national health
associations; and (3) a review of literature provided by officials from
CMS and other organizations. The testimony addresses the data that CMS
requires states to submit on the provision of Early and Periodic
Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) dental services and the
extent to which the data are sufficient for CMS oversight of the
provision of these services. Background information on EPSDT services
and Medicaid delivery and financing, concluding observations, contacts,
and related GAO products are included.
Contact: Government Accountability Office, 441 G Street, N.W., Room LM,
Washington, DC 20548. Telephone: (202) 512-6000; fax: (202) 512-6061;
Web site: http://www.gao.gov.
Document code: GAO-07-826T. First copy available at no charge,
additional copies $2 each; also available at no charge from the Web
site at http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-826T.
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3. Oral Health. In Healthy People 2010 Midcourse Review
This chapter in Healthy People 2010 Midcourse Review highlights results
from an assessment of progress toward achieving the Healthy People 2010
oral health focus goals and objectives through the first half of the
decade. Topics include modifications to objectives and sub-objectives,
progress toward Healthy People 2010 targets, progress toward
elimination of health disparities, opportunities and challenges, and
emerging issues. The proportion of children ages 2-4 with dental caries
increased from 18% in 1988-1994 to 22% in 1999-2002 (target: 11%). The
proportion of untreated tooth decay in this population also increased
from 16% to 17% (target: 9%). Root causes of oral health disparities
include lack of access to preventive and restorative services and poor
oral health literacy. Emerging issues include the role of health
literacy on oral health outcomes and the use of fluoride varnish as a
preventive measure.
Contact: Office of Public Health and Science, 200 Independence Avenue,
S.W., Room 716-G, Washington, DC 20201. Telephone: (202) 690-7694; Web
site: http://www.osophs.dhhs.gov/ophs.
Available at no charge from the Healthy People Web site at http://www.healthypeople.gov/data/midcourse/pdf/FA21.pdf.
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4. Oral Health Resource Bulletin: Volume XVII
This resource bulletin lists recent materials related to enhancing oral
health services for pregnant women, infants, and children and their
families. Topics include data, general information, meetings and
conferences, policy, professional education and training, programs,
public education, and state reports. Selected materials include a
policy brief highlighting data from Early Head Start program
information reports, a participant folder from Colorado's Infant Oral
Care Training, the Office of Head Start's oral health program
instruction, and a pamphlet for new mothers from the American Academy
of Pediatric Dentistry. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]
Contact: HRSA Information Center, P.O. Box 2910, Merrifield, VA 22116.
Telephone: (888) ASK-HRSA (275-4772), (877) 489-4772; fax: (703)
821-2098; e-mail: ask@hrsa.gov; Web
site: http://www.ask.hrsa.gov.
Document code: MCH00222. Available at no charge; also available at no
charge from the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource
Center's Web site at http://www.mchoralhealth.org/PDFs/ResBltnXVII.pdf.
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5. Research to Policy and Practice Forum: Periodontal
Health and Birth Outcomes -- Summary of a Meeting of Maternal, Child,
and Oral Health Experts
This report explores the oral health requirements of pregnant women as
a promising strategy for improving maternal and infant health. The
report summarizes presentations of commissioned background papers and
other topics, as well as workgroup discussions from a forum convened by
the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA's) Maternal
and Child Health Bureau, held on December 11-12, 2006, in Washington,
DC. The forum was planned in collaboration with the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality; the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention; HRSA's Office of Women's Health; the National Institute of
Health's National Institute of Child Health and Human Development,
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, and Office of
Research on Women's Health; and the Office of the Surgeon General.
Contents include an overview and purpose; a summary of presentations;
and a discussion of future directions for policy, programming, and
research. Closing remarks, next steps, references, the forum agenda,
and a participant list are also provided. [Funded by the Maternal and
Child Health Bureau]
Contact: National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center,
Georgetown University, Box 571272, Washington, DC 20057-1272.
Telephone: (202) 784-9771; fax: (202) 784-9777; e-mail: info@mchoralhealth.org; Web
site: http://www.mchoralhealth.org.
Available at no charge from the Web site at http://www.mchoralhealth.org/PDFs/PeriodontalSummary.pdf.
The presenters’ slides and other relevant resources are also available
at no charge from the Web site at http://www.mchoralhealth.org/Materials/Multiples/PerioForum.
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6. Trends in Oral Health Status: United States, 1988-1994
and 1999-2004
This preliminary report presents national estimates and trends for oral
health status measures for individuals ages 2 and older by
sociodemographic status. Data were drawn from the National Health and
Examination Survey (NHANES). Measures include dental caries, dental
sealants, incisal trauma, periodontal health, dental visits, perception
of oral health status, tooth retention, and edentulism. Estimates for
monitoring progress toward the Healthy People 2010 oral health
objectives using NHANES source data are also presented. The authors
note that, for children ages 2-5, dental caries in primary teeth has
increased.
Contact: National Center for Health Statistics, 3311 Toledo Road,
Hyattsville, MD 20782. Telephone: (301) 458-4000; (866) 441-NCHS; fax:
(301) 458-4020; e-mail: nchsquery@cdc.gov;
Web site: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs.
Available at no charge from the Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_11/sr11_248.pdf.
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