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 Boston Public Health Commission
Office of Oral Health Newsletter
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| What to Expect at Your Dental Appointment Brochures | |
We are excited to bring you 3 new brochures that are intented to serve as a guide for parents, adults, and elders on how to get ready for a dental visit, what general procedures/ interventions are to be expected, and suggestions on what to ask the dental provider! Available in both English and Spanish!
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Oral Health Resource Brochure | |
Check out our Oral Health Resource Brochure, with updated information from January 2012: English
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March/ April 2012
Dear Friends,
Welcome to the 10th edition of the BPHC Office of Oral Health newsletter!
In this edition, we are focusing on the BPHC Barbershop Initiative and our recent outreach projects. This issue is also focused around men's health issues and how they connect to oral health!
Also, the BPHC Healthy Boston Blog spotlighted February's national Children's Dental Health Month, view the post here.
In addition, we would like to note that our Oral Health Resource Brochure has updated information from January 2012. Please see the brochures links to the left of the page.
If your program or organization has any updates or event information you would like to share, please email our office at oralhealth@bphc.org. |
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Did You Know About the BPHC Barbershop Initiative?
| |  Why Barbershops?
Within the city of Boston, low-income, minority groups experience the poorest oral health outcomes. Many existing health outreach programs, such as faith-based, parenting, and childcare outreach are able to reach minority women, however, few programs exist that specifically target minority males. According to surveys and studies from the Academy of General Dentistry and the American Dental Association, men are less likely to seek dental care than women.
Barbershops represent a cultural institution that regularly attract large numbers of African American and Latino men, provides an environment of trust, as well as an avenue for oral health promotion and education.
Over the past few years, the Boston Public Health Commission Office of Oral Health and Outreach Division have been establishing professional relationships with barbers and barbershop owners in Mattapan, Roslindale, Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, and Dorchester, with the goal that barbers and stylists receive training on oral health and men's health issues, and will share the information with their clients. Current partners in the Barbershop Initiative include The Dimock Center and Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine. Through this initiative, we seek to identify clients at risk for oral health complications, and encourage preventative care. |
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Community Spotlight | | |
 Remi Adams and Kwesi DuBose are co-owners of Mr. D&A's Barbershop in Roslindale, MA. The Barbershop Initiative performed oral health outreach in their shop on November 19, 2011, and February 18, 2012.
BPHC: What do you think about today's health fair?
Remi: Well it's very important for our African American community - to bring the oral care, bring health information to our community. This is a place where a lot of African Americans and Latinos gather, we see them all, they come through this barbershop. So, they might not get a chance to get information anywhere else. They might not go to downtown Boston, they might not have healthcare at this time. It's important to inform them because the more you know the healthier you can be or to acquire help if you need it.
BPHC: Have you talked with your clients about health information before, and if so, what topics did you talk about?
Kwesi: We talk about prostate cancer for one, for young men from the age of 35 and older. I just experienced my dad diagnosed with [prostate cancer], so that information allowed me to learn more about that and to let young men know more about that, because a lot of us don't know anything about prostate cancer. We talk about flu shots, diabetes, high blood pressure, eating right, exercising, these things are very important.
BPHC: Do you think your clients would be interested in learning more about oral health topics, and if so, why?
Remi: I think that they would definitely be interested in learning more about oral health just because they might not get this information a lot. We are more concerned about if our cholesterol is high, or if our blood sugar is high, or if we have high blood pressure. Our teeth, oral health, we think about that secondary. So this would be an awesome experience for [our clients] to get the information right at hand because it is accessible and you all set up right here, so it's very accessible for them to get it today. And this was a great thing to bring the community, the barbershop and Boston Public Health Commission together.
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BUSDM Student Public Health Project | |  Mr. Jun Hyuk Hwang DMD 2012, is currently a graduating senior at Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine and will be specializing in Orthodontics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore starting July 2012.
A barbershop is not the most obvious place that comes to mind when thinking about doing a public health awareness program. Mr. Jun Hyuk Hwang, a senior at Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine is currently on an externship rotation at The Dimock Center. As part of his externship rotation, he was required to complete a public health project to further his education in dentistry. His mentor at the dental clinic, director Dr. Lagina Bickham DMD, has had a long-standing collaboration with the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) Office of Oral Health and suggested he fulfill his public health awareness project through the BPHC Barbershop Initiative, a program Dr. Bickham has been very involved with since its oral health component was integrated in 2010. The Barbershop Initiative is currently a partnership between the BPHC Outreach Division and Office of Oral Health, The Dimock Center, and Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine.
Jun explains how he got involved with the project,
"Dr. Bickham asked me one day if I would be able to participate in the Barbershop Initiative. I was confused as to what she meant by barbershop. It had nothing to do with teeth! But then she explained that I would be providing oral health education to barbers and clients as a way to reach some of the most in-need residents of Boston. She further explained that barbershops in many communities are a center of social life and members of these communities value the advice and words of the barbers, and would benefit from learning more about the relationship between oral health and systemic health."
This intrigued Jun and led him to meet with the staff from the BPHC Outreach Division and Office of Oral Health, who have established professional relationships with many barbershops and regularly provide public health outreach to these communities. For this project, Jun worked with his BUSDM Community Outreach Project mentor and clinical instructor, Dee Devlin, and created an informative brochure to educate patients on the negative impact of hypertension on oral health. To bring this information to the community, Jun then accompanied BPHC staff, Andrea Lam and Michaela Byrnes, to visit barbershops around Boston to meet with barbers and clients.
This was Jun's first public health project and with little experience, he was a little nervous.
"I don't know what I'm doing. I have never done this before and I am afraid of the unknown and possibly public speaking."
But this fear quickly vanished as he spoke with barbers and their clients in Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roslindale. For this project, Jun and BPHC visited four different barbershops and reached over 80 barbers and their clients to help promote oral health and to educate individuals about the consequences of high blood pressure on our oral health. Several barbershop clients told Jun that they were currently on blood pressure medication and experienced dry mouth. Jun was able to counsel them on ways to alleviate dry mouth discomfort and also explain how dry mouth increases one's risk for dental caries/cavities.In addition, Jun referenced The Dimock Center and encouraged many to find a dental home by utilizing a nearby community health center or dental school as a resource for low-cost dental care. Office of Oral Health resource brochures were distributed to barbers and clients listing contact information for all Boston dental schools and community health center dental clinics.
Jun explained that this was one of the most rewarding works that he has done.
"I was able to see what public health is about. I experienced the work first hand. The majority of barbers and clients I spoke to were quite receptive to learning more about the associations between oral health and hypertension and it was very gratifying to generate oral health conversations between the barbers and clients. The BPHC staff is devoted and passionate about their work, fearless at times giving me the confidence to put myself out there and speak with the clients at the barbershop. It has taken these visits to the barbershops to really appreciate the work of public health."
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Resources | | |
Barbershop Resources: 
Read about Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine student Sheede Khalil's involvement in the Barbershop Initiative for the fall 2011 academic semester. Click here to view.
In this short NBC News video clip, Dr. Bill Releford talks about the Black Barbershop Initiative and why is is so important. Click to watch here.
To learn more about the Black Barbershop Initiative click here.
Want to know you you can help control Cardiovascular disease by just goin g to the barbershop? Click here to find out!
Interested in learning more about the effectiveness of a barber-based intervention? Click here.
Men's Health Resources:
 Do you know all the facts about oral cancer? Learn more about it here.
Prostate Cancer 101 from the American Cancer Society here.
Watch this short clip to learn how to prevent the top men's health problems! Click here to view.
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Office of Oral Health Community Outreach | | |
Frederick Douglas Senior Dental and Eye Screening
On January 12, 2012, the Senior Oral Health Project provided free dental and eye screenings, dental hygiene education, dental appointment referrals, and blood pressure screenings to low-income seniors residing at the Frederick Douglas Housing Development. Approximately 22 seniors were screened and made referrals for further dental treatment.
Black Clergy for Unity 1st Annual Youth Summit
The Office of Oral Health participated in the 1st Annual Youth Summit, sponsored by the Black Clergy for Unity at the Melnea Cass Recreation Center on January 28, 2012. Over 200 youth were in attendance as they interacted together in health-centered breakout groups and presentations that focused on youth-related health issues and youth empowerment. The Office of Oral Health promoted dental careers, athletic mouth guard use, decreasing sugary beverage consumption, and the dangers of oral piercings.
Smart From the Start-Parent Power Hour
On February 1, 2012, the Office of Oral Health collaborated with Smart From the Start and presented at their weekly 'Parent Power Hour' in Dorchester, MA. Parents learned the importance of being good oral health role models for their children, and discussed the impact poor oral health can have on a child's physical and mental health. Thank you for hosting us at your wonderful program!
CHEC-Oral Health Winter Module
The BPHC Community Health Education Center welcomed back the Office of Oral Health on February 6, 2012, for the Oral Health Winter Module where a group of community health workers came to learn more about the systemic effects on poor oral health, how they can relate the information to their clients, and be oral health advocates within their communities.
West Ninth Development-Senior Dental and Eye Screening
On February 16th, 2012, the Senior Oral Health Project provided free dental and eye screenings, dental hygiene education, dental appointment referrals, and blood pressure screenings to low-income seniors residing at the West Ninth Housing Development. Approximately 18 seniors were screened and made referrals for further dental treatment.
Dorchester House-WIC Vietnamese Mom's Group
On February 28, 2012, the Office of Oral Health collaborated with Dorchester House Multi-Service Center to present to a group of 20 Vietnamese-speaking women in the WIC Mom's Group. Office of Oral Health intern, Tiffany TuyetNhi Le, from the Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene spoke to mothers about the importance of good oral health during pregnancy, all about baby bottle tooth decay, nutrition to promote oral health, and good oral hygiene at all stages of childhood. Mothers received oral health supplies for their families, and oral health educational materials in Vietnamese. Four children were also in attendance and had an opportunity to demonstrate tooth brushing on our oral health puppet, Chompers. Thank you to WIC for this special opportunity!
WORK, Inc. Transitional Vocational Program
WORK, Inc. in Dorchester, MA, welcomed the Office of Oral Health to their week of hygiene presentations for their transitional vocational program students. Students learned about proper oral hygiene practices, nutrition information for good oral health, and participated in an interactive activity reading popular beverage bottles' nutrition content and converting grams of sugar into teaspoons of sugar.
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Upcoming Events and Trainings | | |
 If your program or organization has any updates or event information you would like to share, please email our office at oralhealth@bphc.org.
MARCH
Association for Community Health Improvement 2012 National Conference
'Elevating Community Health Practices'
March 14-16, 2012
Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, Denver, CO
Click here for more information.
28th Annual Oral Health & HIV Symposium:
March 30, 2012
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Newton, MA
Click here and scroll to page 42 for more information.
APRIL
2012 National Health Impact Assessment Meeting
The meeting will convene policy makers, public health professionals, Health Impact Assessment (HIA) practitioners
April 3-4, 2012
Washington, D.C.
Click here for more information.
National Health Promotion Summit 2012
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
The summit will promote the development of disease prevention and health promotion policies that align with Healthy People 2020 prevention initiatives.
April 10-11, 2012
Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C.
Click here for more information.
National Oral Health Conference
Pre-conference sessions held on April 28-29
April 30-May 2, 2012
Milwaukee, WI
Click here for more information.
JUNE
2012 International Association for Dental Research General Session
June 20-23, 2012
Iguacu Falls, Brazil
Click here for more information.
OCTOBER
2012 Institute for Oral Health Conference
October 4-5, 2012
Intercontinental Hotel, Boston, MA
Click here for more information. |
If you would like to get involved or have any updates to share, please email our office at oralhealth@bphc.org.
Congratulations to the winner's of the Office of Oral Health Facebook
Competition!! 1st Place: Okie the Gorilla!!!!!
2nd Place: Chaplin!
3rd Place: Hayley!
Thank you to everyone who entered the competition!!!!
Oral Health Team
BPHC Office of Oral Health
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