Oral Health Resource Center Update: October 2024

New from OHRC

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

 

 

Promoting oral health during pregnancy update Oct 2024

 

Latest Update on Promoting Oral Health During Pregnancy 

The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center is pleased to announce the availability of the latest issue of Promoting Oral Health During Pregnancy: Update on Activities. The issue highlights policies and programs from federal agencies and national organizations, resources produced by the Networks for Oral Health Integration (NOHI) Within the Maternal and Child Health Safety Network projects and other organizations published in 2023 and 2024, and journal articles. Past issues of Promoting Oral Health During Pregnancy: Update on Activities are available online.

 

Celebrating CAPT Pamella Vodicka's Retirement

The OHRC team is sending hearty good wishes to our project officer and colleague, Pamella Vodicka, who is retiring after twenty years in the Public Health Service. A champion for oral health as a part of overall health and an architect of several programs focusing on oral health integration funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), Pam's impact will be felt for years to come. We will miss her leadership and friendship. Congratulations, Pam, and thank you for your service!

Spotlighted Resources

Resource Spotlight

AAP Guidance Brief: SDF Application in the Pediatric Medical Setting

This brief, produced by the American Academy of Pediatrics, provides primary care health professionals with steps to determine a child’s eligibility for tooth decay management with silver diamine fluoride (SDF) in the medical setting. Topics include why children need treatment in the pediatric medical home, advantages and disadvantages of SDF, contraindications to SDF, shared decision-making, referral, and follow up. An SDF-options diagram is included, along with steps for applying SDF. Each month, find new spotlighted resources from our digital library on our website. 

A Guide to the Dental Periodicity Schedule and Oral Exam

This guide can help Head Start program directors, health managers/specialists, family service coordinators, home visitors, and other staff understand how to use the dental periodicity schedule to know when a child should receive an oral exam. The guide provides background on the Head Start Program Performance Standard that addresses an oral exam, describes elements of an oral exam, and offers information on the timing of oral exams and who can conduct them.

 

 

See also: State Dental Periodicity Schedules, a summary and map from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

In the News

CDC Surveillance Report

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released Dental Caries, Tooth Retention, and Edentulism, United States, 2017–March 2020. This report estimates the prevalence and severity of dental caries in different age groups and tooth retention in adults. National estimates for selected oral health measures are derived from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), using the NHANES 2017–March 2020 data files. These estimates are stratified by sociodemographic characteristics such as age, sex, race and ethnicity, poverty status, education level, and smoking. 
 

CMS Releases Updated Toolkit on Reaching Children and Families in School-Based and Early Education and Child Care Settings

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) strives to make sure people continue to have health care coverage (whether through Medicaid, CHIP, Medicare, HealthCare.gov--through the Affordable Care Act, or employer-sponsored coverage) and produces materials to help share information about Medicaid and CHIP renewals. CMS recently updated the Reaching Children and Families in School-Based and Early Education and Care Settings toolkit on the Medicaid and CHIP Renewals Outreach and Educational Resources page. This update includes evergreen language that education and early education professionals can use to share information about regular Medicaid and CHIP renewals with parents and families. 
 

HRSA Oral Health Webpages

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has featured oral health content online.
  • HRSA's How To Take Care of Your Oral Health page offers information on several oral health topics including videos, PDFs, fact sheets, and social media messages which are part of HRSA's ongoing efforts to ensure equitable access to high-quality oral health information for all individuals. The entire page can be toggled into Spanish.
  • HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) Oral Health page describes MCHB awards, resources, jobs, and news. 

Medicaid Reimbursement for Dental Care Services Updated Analysis for 2024

The American Dental Association Health Policy Institute (HPI) has released its latest update of Medicaid reimbursement for child and adult dental care services by state. Medicaid fee-for-service reimbursement is measured as a percentage of dentists' original fees for select procedures. Data are broken down for child and adult dental services as well as by state. The latest data are for 2024, an update of HPI's new and improved data analysis for 2022.


New How-To-Guide to Develop and Sustain State-Based Cooperatives

This guide from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) provides guidance about developing and sustaining state-based cooperatives that aim to strengthen the capacity of healthcare systems, other healthcare organizations, and clinicians to deliver evidence-based whole-person care. It highlights effective approaches, lessons learned, and sample materials from the AHRQ initiatives designed to provide external quality improvement support for primary care practices.
 

Release of Annual Data from the National Survey of Children’s Health

The newest 2023 data from the National Survey of Children’s Health was released October 7. The HRSA Maternal and Child Health Bureau funds and directs this survey, which is the largest and most comprehensive national- and state‐level survey on the health and well‐being of children, their families, and their communities. The survey provides data on a range of factors such as the prevalence and impact of special health care needs, health care quality and access, physical and mental health, and adverse childhood experiences. The survey data can support research, program and policy development, and evaluation efforts. Contact [email protected] for more information.
 

Resources from Partner Actions to Improve Oral Health Outcomes in Five States

In September 2018, CDC Division of Oral Health funded the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) to work with five state health departments. NACDD has posted state success stories from Colorado, Connecticut, North Dakota, South Carolina, and Virginia. View online to optimize the "flip book" format. The webpage also offers a roundtable summary, a literature review, and a white paper that summarizes the findings from the literature review they conducted on medical-dental integration and lays out the approach for a framework that is grounded in four pillar areas to promote whole-person integrated care. 
 

Oral Health Learning Café

OHRC's Oral Health Learning Café is an informal, supportive space for professionals to engage with others about integrating oral health and primary care. From September 2024 through January 2025, representatives from each of the five programs included in the report, Integrating Oral Health Care into Primary Care: Five Successful, Long-Standing, Statewide Programs Providing Care for the Maternal and Child Health Population, will join the Learning Café webinars to present and engage in discussion. In November, the presentation will be about the Colorado Medical-Dental Integration Project. Register for the webinar. Visit our website to register for future programs. You can also subscribe to the discussion list to receive announcements about upcoming webinars and the monthly Integration Alert.