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.
************************************************************
1. Access to Dental Services for Medicaid Children in
Maryland: A Report of the Dental Action Committee
This report presents a comprehensive series of recommendations
developed by the Maryland Dental Action Committee to help guide the
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in increasing access
to oral health services for children enrolled in Medicaid. Contents
include an executive summary, a purpose statement, topic area
summaries, an evaluation and oversight section, and a conclusion.
Topics include Medicaid rates and alternate models; public health
strategies; education and outreach for parents and other caregivers;
and provider participation, capacity, and scope of practice. Committee
recommendations, subcommittee reports, Medicaid data, and background
materials are included as appendices.
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/DentalActionCmteReport.pdf.
**********
2. Oral Health and Access to Dental Care for Ohioans, 2007
This brief highlights oral health findings from four recent surveys in
Ohio: the 2004 Ohio Family Health Survey; the 2004 Ohio Behavioral Risk
Factor Surveillance System survey; Make Your Smile Count! A Survey of
the Oral Health of Ohio Schoolchildren, 2004-2005; and the 2002-2003
Ohio survey of the oral health status of children enrolled in Head
Start (based on the Basic Screening Surveys model). Topics include
child and adult oral health status and access to care, oral health
infrastructure, and dentist participation in Medicaid.
Contact: Ohio Department of Health, 246 North High Street, Columbus, OH
43216. Telephone: (614) 466-3543; Web site: http://www.odh.state.oh.us/.
Available at no charge from the Web site at http://www.odh.ohio.gov/ASSETS/976ABA16928C443B90E13F7FC6481D4C/OralAccessBooklet2ndprinting.pdf.
**********
3. SCHIP Dental Benefits
This inaugural issue of the State Health Policy Monitor examines the
status of dental benefits in State Children's Health Insurance Programs
(SCHIPs) in 2007. Selected topics include cost-sharing and annual
payment caps. A map presents data on the number of states with separate
programs that also include dental benefits.
Contact: National Academy for State Health Policy, 50 Monument Square,
Suite 502, Portland, ME 04101. Telephone: (207) 874-6524, (202)
903-0101; 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/shpmonitor_SCHIPdental.pdf.
**********
4. Cooperation Predictors for Dental Patients with Autism
This study evaluated potential predictors of cooperation during dental
appointments for children with autism. Data were collected from 108
parent-child pairs and their dentists. The authors found that five
questions answered by a caregiver may indicate a child’s cooperative
potential. Preappointment inquiry about toilet training, toothbrushing,
haircuts, academic achievement, and language can give the dentist
insight into the child’s ability to respond positively to behavior
guidance techniques based on communication.
Marshall J, Sheller B, Williams BJ, Mancl L, Cowan C. 2007. Pediatric
Dentistry 29(5):369-376. Abstract available at http://www.aapd.org/searcharticles/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=2190.
**********
5. The Dental Care of U.S. Children: Access, Use and
Referrals by Nondentist Providers, 2003
This article examines the practices of nondentist health professionals
as measured by their providing advice to children and adolescents, ages
2 through 17, to obtain a dental checkup and the relationship of this
advice with actual dental checkups, dental checkups in the context of
family income, and other sociodemographic characteristics. Among
children and adolescents who had been advised by a nondentist health
professional to have a dental checkup, checkup rates for those from
families with middle or high incomes were higher than rates for those
from families with low or middle incomes. The authors conclude that
additional effort is warranted to ensure that all children and
adolescents get needed or recommended oral health care.
Chu M, Sweis LE, Guay AH, Manski RJ. 2007. Journal of the American
Dental Association 138(10):1324-1331. Abstract available at http://jada.ada.org/cgi/content/abstract/138/10/1324.
**********
6. Strategic Partnerships Between Academic Dental
Institutions and Communities: Addressing Disparities in Oral Health Care
This article seeks to demonstrate how partnerships between academic
dental institutions and communities can serve the oral health needs of
the public and also augment the educational objectives of the academic
dental institution. Among key stakeholders in geographically diverse
locations, there was virtually unanimous agreement that such
partnerships are desirable and valued. The authors conclude that it is
reasonable and possible for academic institutions to develop
partnerships that help address disparities in oral health care while
enhancing the clinical educational experience of their students and
maintaining financial viability.
Johnson, BR, Loomer, PM, Siegel, SC, Pilcher ES, Leigh JE, Gillespie
MJ, Simmons RK, Turner SP. 2007. Journal of the American Dental
Association 138(10):1366-1371. Abstract available at http://jada.ada.org/cgi/content/abstract/138/10/1366.
************************************************************
Subscribe, update information, or unsubscribe to the Oral Health Alert: Focus on Head Start at http://www.mchoralhealth.org/alert/index.html.