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
December 2007
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1. Health Centers' Role in Addressing the Oral Health
Needs of the Medically Underserved
This issue brief discusses health centers’ role in meeting low-income
and at-risk populations' oral health care needs. The brief also
discusses the importance of improving access to oral health services
and the challenges related to funding this effort. Topics include
disparities in access to oral health care, lack of fluoridated drinking
water, lack of dental sealants, state-by-state analyses, and selected
key federal programs. The appendices include a state-by-state chart
listing health centers that provide oral health services. Charts and
graphs throughout the report present statistical data.
Contact: National Association of Community Health Centers, 7200
Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 210, Bethesda, MD 20814. Telephone: (301)
347-0400; fax: (301) 347-0459; e-mail: contact@nachc.com; Web site: http://www.nachc.com. Available at no
charge from the Web site at http://www.nachc.com/research/Files/Oral%20Health%20Report%20FINAL.pdf
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2. Kansas Oral Health Plan
This plan describes a framework for oral health programming that is
intended to create a unified vision for improved oral health outcomes
across Kansas. The plan outlines objectives for the oral health work
force, financing oral health care for underserved populations,
community and public health, and children's oral health. Additional
topics include encouraging health professional participation in areas
with insufficient oral health services; increasing access to oral
health services by using non-traditional delivery models; improving
Kansas-based oral health education; creating and sustaining dental
hubs; improving the state oral health program; supporting charitable
oral health care; increasing awareness about the importance of oral
health, including oral health in statewide tobacco initiatives;
targeting specific populations in the state; and improving children's
oral health by developing a screening program in Kansas schools.
Contact: Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Office of Oral
Health, 1000 South West Jackson Street, Suite 300, Topeka, KS 66612.
Telephone: (785) 296-5116; fax: (785) 291-3959; e-mail: dmcglass@kdhe.state.ks.us;
Web site: http://www.kdheks.gov/ohi.
Available at no charge from the Web site at http://www.kdheks.gov/ohi/download/Kansas_Oral_Health_Plan.pdf
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3. Oral Health Care During Pregnancy and Early Childhood
This continuing-education activity for prenatal, oral health, and child
health professionals highlights the importance of good oral health and
the need for oral health care during pregnancy and throughout early
childhood. The activity comprises a multidisciplinary panel discussion,
handouts, and an evaluation and post-test. Panel members with expertise
in prenatal care, oral health, and well child care discuss the
following topics: (1) the impact of oral health on overall health and
the development of practice guidelines by the New York State Department
of Health; (2) incorporation of oral health care during pregnancy,
including the scientific basis for treatment; (3) causes of tooth
decay, the impact of decay on family life, and prevention; and (4) how
to conduct an oral health assessment during a well child visit. The
activity has been approved for credit by providers of continuing
education for nurses, physicians, health educators, and dentists.
Contact: State University of New York at Albany, School of Public
Health, One University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144-3456. Telephone:
(518) 402-0283; (518) 486-6453; fax: (518) 402-0329; e-mail: coned@albany.edu; Web site: http://www.albany.edu/sph.
Available at no charge from the Web site at http://www.albany.edu/sph/coned/oralhealth.htm
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4. Protect Your Baby's Teeth From Early Childhood Tooth
Decay
This brochure for new parents describes ways to keep infants' gums and
teeth healthy during the first year. It discusses early signs and
causes of tooth decay, appropriate use of bottles and sippy cups,
and proper care of infants' teeth. The brochure is available in English
and Spanish. [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. http://www.mchoralhealth.org/pdfs/protectyourbabysteeth_english.pdf
(English) and http://www.mchoralhealth.org/pdfs/protectyourbabysteeth_spanish.pdf
(Spanish).
Readers: A related brochure titled Protect Your Child's Teeth from
Early Childhood Tooth Decay is also available at http://www.mchoralhealth.org/pdfs/protectyourchildsteeth_english.pdf
(English) and http://www.mchoralhealth.org/pdfs/protectyourchildsteeth_spanish.pdf
(Spanish).
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5. Toothfairy Island Teaching Curriculum
This curriculum is designed for use by educators in teaching children
ages 2-6 about health practices and behaviors that will help them
maintain oral health. The character-based, child-centered materials
expand on the myth of the tooth fairy to create a pediatric wellness
program that begins with oral health as the gateway to the body, and
includes nutrition, prevention of bacteria transmission, safe play to
prevent injuries, and science for young children. The curriculum
comprises five lesson plans and accompanying CDs and DVDs, puppets,
puzzles, and other products. Selected content is available in both
English and Spanish.
Contact: Toothfairy Island, 360 San Miguel, Suite 204, Newport Beach,
CA 92660. Telephone: (949) 552-1756; (877) 233-9033; e-mail: info@ToothfairyIsland.com;
Web site: http://www.ToothfairyIsland.com.
Order from the Web site for a charge (materials priced separately;
bundle pricing coming soon) at http://www.toothfairyisland.com/html/index.html
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6. Characteristics of Publicly Insured Children with High
Dental Expenses
This article reports on dental procedure types and expenses for infants
and children from birth through age 6 enrolled in Medicaid in
Washington State, and it identifies the demographic, behavioral, and
access-to-care factors associated with high total dental expenses. In
the study described in the article, a small proportion of children (9%)
used a majority of resources (64%). Compared to white children,
children of Asian or Pacific Islander heritage were at
disproportionately high risk for high dental expenses. Children whose
mother or sibling(s) previously experienced tooth decay were almost
four times as likely to have high dental expenses than children whose
mothers or sibling(s) did not. Children whose parents did not know
their child had dental coverage at the time of the survey were about
three times more likely to have high expenses than children whose
parents reported knowing their child was insured by Medicaid for dental
care.
Churchill SS, Williams BJ, Villareale NL. 2007. Journal of Public
Health Dentistry 67(4):199-207. Abstract available at no charge from
the Web site at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1752-7325.2007.00046.x
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7. Disparities in Regular Source of Dental Care Among Mothers of
Medicaid-Enrolled Preschool Children
This study examined whether mothers' characteristics and local supply
of dentists and public dental clinics are associated with having a
regular source of oral health care for mothers of children ages 3-6
enrolled in Medicaid in Washington State. The authors found that fewer
than 4 in 10 mothers of children ages 3-6 enrolled in Medicaid in
Washington State had a regular source of oral health care. Income,
education, dental insurance, length of residence, and mental health
were associated with having a regular source of oral health care among
Black, Hispanic, and white mothers. Local supply of dentists and public
dental clinics was associated with having a regular source of oral
health care for Hispanic and white mothers. The authors conclude that
policies are needed for increasing the percentage of mothers with low
incomes who have a regular source of oral health care.
Grembowski D, Spiekerman C, Milgrom P. 2007. Journal of Health Care for
the Poor and Underserved 18(4):789-813. Abstract available at no charge
from the Web site at http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/journal_of_health_care_for_the_poor_and_underserved/v018/18.4grembowski.html