COHI Update
News from the Connecticut Oral Health Initiative
'Oral Health for All'
 August 27, 2008
In This Issue . . .
COHI Search for New Executive
September 11th Statewide Oral Health Conference
Oral Health In the News
COHI Executive Director Search Underway
Chaired by Board President Howard I. Mark, D.M.D., COHI's Search Committee has begun its work to identify a new executive director.

Please refer potential candidates to our web site where a complete position announcement with response details is posted. If you need further information, please contact COHI's Interim Director, Madeline McClave at 860/246-2644 or madelinem@ctoralhealth.org.

We have greatly increased support for our mission 'Oral Health For All' over the past few years. The health community and key policy leaders now have a much greater awareness and acceptance of the importance of oral health and of COHI. We are seeking qualified individuals who will
work effectively with COHI's board and other stakeholders to maintain and advance this momentum.
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'Oral Health in CT:  Where Are We Today?'
Register Now for September 11th Conference
Did you attend last year's 'Sharing the Vision Conference' that launched our State's first five-year Oral Health Improvement Plan? Are you interested in learning more about the status of oral health and oral health initiatives in Connecticut?

If your answer is 'yes', please join us for the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) Office of Oral Health's statewide conference on Thursday, September 11th at the Crowne Plaza in Cromwell. Anyone interested in oral health issues or populations affected by them should attend.

The September 11th meeting will:
  • Provide an update to the 2007-2012 CT State Oral Health Improvement Plan;
  • Raise awareness of current oral health issues;
  • Provide an update on the CT Office of Oral Health programs and activities; and,
  • Engage stakeholders to implement the five-year Plan and activities.
For more information and to download the DPH conference brochure and registration form, please visit COHI's web site.

COHI and our partner organizations in the CT Coalition for an Oral Health Plan are working closely with DPH on this oral health event. It follows up on the 'Sharing the Vision' conference to share the statewide Plan just over a year ago.

Please call DPH at 860/635-2000 if you have trouble printing or viewing the brochure online.
Oral Health In The News
UCONN Faculty Are Resources For Washington Post on Links Between Oral and Systemic Health
A recent Washington Post article cites both a study about the relationship between atherosclerosis and oral health by Maurizio Tonetti, the head of the UCONN dental school's Division of Periodontology, and the Smiles for Life curriculum developed by a team including Alan Douglass, an associate professor of family medicine at UCONN medical school.

The Post piece, 'Watch Your Mouth: Gums and Teeth Give Clues About What's Going On Inside Your Body', discusses new studies and evidence about the close links between oral and overall health and focuses on the need for dentists and doctors to forge closer connections around patients who are at risk or being treated for conditions or diseases where there is a proven relationship.

Private Insurers Increase Dental Benefits To Prevent An Array of Serious Health Problems
The Wall Street Journal article 'Smile - Benefits Improve' reports on major insurers that are increasing dental coverage mostly through employee plans.

CT Public Radio Covers Smiles To Go Mobile Program:
'St. Raphael's Dental Van Reaches Out To Migrants'
A few weeks ago, there was a flurry of media attention for Saint Raphael's Smiles To Go Dental Van. Connecticut Public Radio/WNPR ran a four-minute piece on 'Where We Live' at the end of July. The WNPR story was taped during a visit by the van to Bishop's Orchard in Guilford. Click here to download the full audio of the 'Where We Live' episode.

COHI
   The Connecticut Oral
    Health Initiative, or
   COHI for short, is a
   statewide collaborative of
   dental and health professionals and community leaders. Our mission is Oral Health for All. We work to persuade, educate and inform decision makers and the general public about the importance of oral health and access to care. COHI began in 1992 as a project of the Connecticut State Dental Association and incorporated as a separate 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation in 2003. We are supported by your tax-deductible contribution and grants from progressive foundations and businesses.
http://www.ctoralhealth.org      860.246.2644