New from OHRC

The following news and resources are featured by the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC).

March is National Nutrition Month

Nutrition and oral health are interrelated. Nutrition and diet can affect overall health and well-being as well as the development and integrity of the oral cavity and the progression of oral diseases. Likewise, oral disease impacts the ability to eat and nutrition status. Caries-causing bacteria in the mouth use sugar in food to make acid that can break down tooth surfaces and create tooth decay (dental caries). Explore these resources to learn more and share tips with others.

• Cook’s Corner: Recipes for Healthy Snacks
• Giving Your Child Healthy Snacks
• Understanding How Sugar Contributes to Tooth Decay

In the News

Call for Applications: NNOHA Advocacy Collaborative

Recognizing that achieving high-impact, sustainable improvement in oral health care access and equity demands systems-level, policy-driven reform, the National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA) has announced a 10-month, advocacy collaborative. It will be an innovative program designed for oral health leaders to provide them with the knowledge and hands-on training required to advance systems-level oral health reform in their respective states. NNOHA is accepting applications; submit by May 1. 
 

CDC Study Explores Recent Decreases in First Molar Sealants

National dental sealant prevalence has been increasing for the past twenty years. However, a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that sealant prevalence between 2011–2014 and 2015–2018 significantly decreased by over 27% among US children aged 7–10 years. This study explores whether the decrease was real or potentially due to limitations in current surveillance methods. The findings from this exploratory analysis suggest that the decrease in sealant prevalence could be explained by a potential increase in use of glass-ionomer sealant material. Glass-ionomer sealants, even when not visually detectable, may still provide protection against cavities. Current dental public health surveillance data sources use visual examination methods to assess the number of children with dental sealants. If future surveys confirm unsupported decreases in sealant prevalence and if available data document increases in use of glass-ionomer sealant material, current surveillance methods used to assess sealant presence may need to be rethought and revised.
 

CMS Annual Quality Conference with Hybrid Option

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Annual Quality Conference will be held in person with a virtual option for selected sessions April 8-10 in Baltimore. The conference provides a foundation to explore opportunities for positive change in health care. The agenda includes two break-out sessions on oral health: (1) Oral Health Quality Improvement in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and (2) Advancing Oral Health Equity Through Quality Improvement Measures. Register.
 

Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign Notes

The Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign is raising awareness about barriers that families of underserved communities like racial or ethnic minority populations face in accessing health coverage, such as poverty, limited English proficiency, low health literacy, limited enrollment assistance, and broader social and economic factors that drive health, often referred to as social determinants of health. The campaign works closely with partners and organizations to conduct culturally tailored outreach to ensure eligible families of all backgrounds can enroll and receive the comprehensive medical coverage that Medicaid and CHIP provide. Existing materials on InsureKidsNow.gov in 24 languages include a mental health poster, dental health flyer, and dental health tear pads to use in ongoing multicultural outreach efforts and to help improve access to affordable care in communities. In February, the campaign held a webinar highlighting the dental benefits and services available through Medicaid and CHIP. Experts discussed the barriers to dental care that patients and providers experience across different racial and ethnic groups, family income levels and more. The webinar also explored the connection between mental health and oral health, and included best practices that organizations can use when connecting with families and resources to support outreach and enrollment. View the webinar slides and share with colleagues and other organizations and use the resources presented within your community. 
 

Dental Therapy Resources

The National Partnership for Dental Therapy has designed a dental therapy resources page with fact sheets, research articles, policy updates, and more. 
 

Oral Health Equity Through Workforce Design

Improving access to preventive oral health care and oral health equity among those living in communities underserved by oral health care demands varied approaches. Schuyler Center (New York) has been awarded a grant from CareQuest Institute for Oral Health to develop recommendations to address the unmet need for preventive and routine oral health services in New York populations, especially New Yorkers with low incomes. The project, The Future Oral Health Workforce Project: Oral Health Equity Through Workforce Design, will focus on increasing the availability of care by identifying comprehensive changes to policies that address the state’s significant oral health workforce shortage. The archive of the project launch webinar earlier this month is now available on their website along with other resources including a fact sheet, Investing in Childhood Oral Health Equity. Watch this work in New York to inform efforts across the country.  

Webinars

• This month we are listing several webinars in our newsletter. Is this a helpful feature? Let us know! 

Empowering Change: Using Brief Motivational Interviewing for Tobacco Cessation in Oral Cancer Prevention

Join the Smoking Cessation Leadership Center at the University of California San Francisco and the American Dental Hygienists' Association for this webinar designed to share the latest insights into oral cancer statistics and equip professionals with practical skills in utilizing brief motivational interviewing techniques to address tobacco cessation. The course will emphasize the application of Ask, Advise, Refer strategies. April 17; register.

Exploring the New Recommendations for Patient Shielding During Imaging

In February, an expert panel established by the American Dental Association (ADA) removed the recommendation for dental practitioners to use lead abdominal aprons or thyroid collars on patients when taking dental radiographs. The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health is hosting this webinar created in collaboration with ADA to provide an update on patient shielding recommendations and explain the rationale behind them. It will also focus on the updated recommendations and equip learners with guidance on how to discuss the changes with patients (and their children) who have become accustomed to these practices. March 28; register.
 

Health Equity for the Oral Health Advocate

The Arizona Oral Health Coalition presents a training that will cover the foundations of health equity and social determinants of health. It will provide impactful action steps for the oral health professional or advocate and give participants the necessary tools to help address oral health disparities in their own roles. April 1; register.
 

Introduction to a Culture of Safety in Dentistry: We Don't Know; What We Don't Know

By and large, the practice of dentistry is safe; but being human, there are instances where near misses or adverse events do occur. Hopefully, one can learn from them and move on with little to no lasting harm to patients, staff, or providers. In an ideal world, such challenging events would get reported in an anonymous, non-discoverable manner, so that oral health professionals could learn from the experience of others without having to experience the adverse incident themselves. Dentists hesitate to report such incidents for fear of increasing liability and embarrassment to themselves and their practice. This free webinar will discuss how to move beyond individual safety practices to a more systemic approach to protecting yourself and those you serve. On-demand; register.

Medicaid and CHIP Renewals Webinar on Recently Released Guidance and Resources for Partners

The US Department of Health and Human Services and CMS present this Medicaid and CHIP renewals webinar (note the revised date, now April 3). Topics will include an overview of CMS recently released guidance and a review of key messages and outreach resources for partners. If your organization serves or interfaces with people that have health insurance through Medicaid or CHIP then this event is for you. April 3; register.
 

Utilizing Data for Quality and Integration 

This NNOHA webinar will explore how to use data to support patient care and how access to population level data can inform care delivery decisions. It will address the value of shared patient date between care delivery professionals from oral health and primary care to behavioral health. It will also touch on the importance of social drivers of health and their overall impact on the health of your patients. April 4; register.