The Oral Health Alert: Focus on Head Start is a monthly
newsletter that provides timely information about national campaigns
and initiatives, materials, and journal articles. Past issues are available at http://www.mchoralhealth.org/alert/archives.html
February 2009
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1. Keep Kansas Smiling: Oral Health in the Sunflower
State -- Kansas Oral Health Grading Project 2009
This report provides an overview of oral health in Kansas, using mostly
primary data sources and additional information collected through
conversations with the state's Office of Oral Health and Oral Health
Kansas. Grading categories are intended to call greater policy
attention to oral disease prevention, access to care, infrastructure,
health status, and oral-health-related laws.
Rogers, E. 2009. Chicago, IL: Oral Health America. 20 pp. Available at http://www.oralhealthamerica.org/Kansas_Report_LowRes_Spreads.pdf
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2. The Role of Physicians in Children's Oral Health Health
This policy brief presents findings from two recent surveys on the
characteristics of Medicaid programs that reimburse primary care
physicians for performing basic preventive oral health care on young
children during regular office visits, as well as on the extent to
which the programs reimburse for such care. The brief includes a
discussion of the importance of oral health care in childhood and
physicians' role in evaluating young children's oral condition and
performing basic preventive services. Topics include the application of
fluoride varnish and additional services such as risk assessments, oral
examinations, and anticipatory guidance.
Cantrell C. 2008. Washington, DC: National Academy of State Health
Policy. Available at http://www.nashp.org/files/Fluoride%20Varnish%20Monitor.pdf
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3. Guideline on Fluoride Therapy
This guideline is intended to help practitioners and parents make
decisions concerning appropriate use of fluoride as part of
comprehensive oral health care for infants, children, and adolescents,
including those with special health care needs. Recommendations on
systematically administered fluoride supplements, professionally
applied topical fluoride treatment, and fluoride-containing products
for home use are provided.
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Council on Clinical Affairs.
2008-2009. Pediatric Dentistry 30(7, Suppl.):121-124. Content available at http://www.aapd.org/media/policies_guidelines/g_fluoridetherapy.pdf
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4. Association Between Early Childhood Caries and
Behavior as Measured by the Child Behavior Checklist
This study used the child behavior checklist to study the relationship
between children's (ages 30-59 months) behavior and dental caries.
Sleep problems, anxiety/depression, aggressive behavior, attention
deficit/hyperactivity problems, and total behavior problems were
significantly more prevalent in children with caries than in
caries-free children.
Williamson R, Oueis H, Casamassimo PS, Thikkurissy S. 2008. Pediatric
Dentistry 30(6):505-509.
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5. Caregiver's Perception of Child's Oral Health Status
Among Low-Income African Americans
This study compared caregivers' perception of their children's (ages 5
and younger) oral health status with clinical findings. The study also
investigated the influence of caregivers' attitudes, beliefs, and
knowledge concerning dental caries development and oral health on their
perception of their children's oral health status. Significant
determinants of a caregiver's perception of a child's oral health
status included (1) the child's untreated cavitated caries lesions, (2)
number of filled tooth surfaces, (3) number of missing teeth due to
caries, (4) the child's difficulty chewing foods, and (5) the
caregiver's perception of his or her own oral health.
Sohn W, Taichman LS, Ismail AI, Reisine S. 2008. Pediatric Dentistry
30(6):480-487.
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6. Evaluation
of an Early Childhood Caries Prevention Program at an Urban Pediatric
Clinic
This study evaluated a risk-based early childhood caries prevention
program conducted by oral health professionals at a pediatric primary
care clinic serving primarily individuals with low incomes. Children in
the prevention group had significantly fewer cavitated carious lesions
at their last recall than did children in the comparison group at their
initial visit. Mean oral mutans streptococcus values were 8.3 times
higher in comparison group children at their initial visit than in
prevention group children at their last recall.
Minah G, Lin C, Coors, S. Rambob, I, Tinanoff N, Grossman LK. 2008.
Pediatric Dentistry 30(6):499-504.
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