American Association of Public Health Dentistry
 
 
Cas Evans
Cas Evans
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 February 2008    
 
AAPHD National Office
Executive Director
Pam Tolson, CAE
 

3085 Stevenson Drive #200

Springfield, IL 62703
Tel. 217.529.6941
Fax 217.529.9120
www.aaphd.org
 
 
Send contributions and announcements for Communique by the first Friday of each month to
Becky DeSpain Eden
Newsletter Editor
 
Future Meetings
 
 
Save the Date!
 

National Oral Health Conference

April 28-30, 2008

Miami, FL

 

Special Care Dentistry

March 12 - 16, 2008
San Antonio, TX

American Association for Dental Research

April 2 - 5, 2008

Dallas, TX

American Dental Hygienists' Association
June 18 - 25, 2008
Albuquerque, NM

International Association for Dental Research
July 2 - 5, 2008
Toronto, ON

National Dental Association
July 25 - 30, 2008
Detroit MI

American Dental Association
October 16 -19, 2008
San Antonio, TX

American Public Health Association
October 25 - 29, 2008
San Diego, CA

Association in Action

Meeting on Healthy People Goals. AAPHD and ASTDD hosted a meeting in Atlanta on February 5, 2008 for representatives of more than 15 dental organizations.  The purpose was to craft a message on the inclusion of oral health goals in Healthy People 2020 and to coordinate testimony to be presented at a series of six hearings over the next year. A white paper is being developed for first of the hearings on March 13th in Atlanta. Members will be notified in the next few weeks when the paper is available. If you or your organization is interested in attending or testifying, go to www.healthypeople.gov for the list of hearing dates and to register to participate. Special thanks to ASTDD for joining AAPHD in convening and underwriting the meeting.

Policies Adopted. Members voted to approve the "AAPHD Policy for Access to Care"and the "AAPHD Resolution on Fluoride Varnish for Caries Prevention." Both are now official association positions on these issues.

Elections Near. AAPHD members will soon be asked to vote for a new Vice President and two new Executive Council members. The announcement that the ballot is ready for voting by all AAPHD voting members will be distributed within a week by e-mail. Members will go to the ballot through a link from the website.

Journal Editor to Take Charge. The AAPHD Officers will meet in Chicago February 21 & 22 to finalize the transition of the JPHD editorship to Robert Weyant. Helen Gift has served as editor since July 2005. During her term, the association transferred publication to Wiley-Blackwell and electronically archived all volumes of the JPHD dating back to its inception in 1942. Gift has recruit more than 200 individuals to serve as manuscript reviewers. The number of manuscripts received has more than doubled in each of the past three years. Approximately 150 manuscripts were reviewed in 2007. Weyant has been working with Scholar One to establish their electronic manuscript submission service, which is scheduled to premiere in the next few months.

Student Chapter Formed. The first official AAPHD Student Chapter has formed at the University of Illinois-Chicago with AAPHD President Caswell Evans as the group's advisor. The chapter has elected officers and is working with a local not-for-profit and the University of Illinois School of Dentistry to establish a dental clinic for the homeless. Goldie's Place will open later this year, but in November, the students hosted a reception as construction got underway. Special thanks to Founding Members Chernara Baker and Esther Lopez. The students will present a poster at NOHC outlining the steps taken to develop the student chapter.

By-Laws Revision Planned. Executive Council member Raul Garcia chairs a taskforce to review the AAPHD Bylaws in order to bring them into compliance with changes in the Illinois Not-for-Profit Act and to develop guidelines for chartering AAPHD Chapters. The taskforce will meet in early March to make recommendations to the EC for revisions that will be presented for a vote at the AAPHD Annual Business Meeting on April 29, 2008 in Miami. Any member interested in serving on the taskforce should contact Pam Tolson, Executive Director, immediately at natoff@aaphd.org.

2008 National Oral Health Conference in Miami

Registration and Housing. AAPHD and ASTDD members may now register for the 2008 National Oral Health Conference at NOHC The 2008 NOHC promises to deliver a great venue, more educational choices, and multiple opportunities to connect with colleagues from around the globe. Register now and remember to make your hotel reservations! A mailing to other potential attendees will be going out soon - don't wait to make your plans as space may be limited and on-site registration carries extra fees. Please call the NOHC office with any questions - 217-529-6503.

Abstracts Still Under Review.  If you submitted an abstract for a poster or oral presentation during the NOHC, you will be interested to know that Education and Science Co-chairs Jane Steffenson and Barbara Gooch report that abstracts are still being reviewed. The review should conclude in the next week and submitters will be notified by month's end.

Roundtable Abstracts may be submitted through the end of February. Go to NOHC to submit. Acceptance for the popular Roundtable Lunch & Learn will be forwarded in early March. Thank you to Scott Tomar and Shiela Semler, Roundtable Coordinators.

Silent Auction Returns. The AAPHD Foundation requests donations for its Silent Auction to be held during the 2008 National Oral Health Conference. Favorite items include jewelry, art items, historical dental public health materials, and use of vacation homes. The Silent Auction will be held Monday, April 28 through Tuesday, April 29th. Download the Donor Form at www.aaphd.org and submit it to the National Office. Bring your auction items to the NOHC; do not send to the AAPHD office. Donors who contribute items too large to fit in a suitcase are asked to forward a picture and ship the item to the highest bidder after the auction. Contributions raised will benefit the general fund, the Horowitz Scholarship Fund, and the Lotzkar Fund. Special thanks to Silent Auction Chair, Hermine McLeran.
News Bites

Tragic Anniversary Marked by Congressional Testimony

Hearings were held last week by the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Domestic Policy on legislation improving access to dental services for Medicaid beneficiaries. Two bills are under consideration one year after a 12-year-old Deamonte Driver of Prince Georges County, Maryland died when an infection from an abscessed tooth spread to his brain.

Testimony emphasized that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has done little to improve access to dental services. Jim Crall, director of the National Oral Health Policy Center at the University of California-Los Angeles, noted that Medicaid dental reimbursements are lower than the "usual, customary and reasonable" fees that private health insurers charge for dental services. The "Essential Oral Health Care Act" (H.R. 2472), sponsored by Reps. Albert Wynn (D-MD) and Mike Simpson (R-ID) would draw more private practicing dentists into Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program significantly increasing federal matching funds for states to improve their plans and increase reimbursement rates to dental providers. The bill would also give tax credits to dentists providing charity care.

Another measure called "Deamonte's Law" was introduced by Rep. Elijah Cummings' (D-MD). H.R. 2371 appropriates $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2013 for grants to schools of dentistry and hospitals with accredited training programs in pediatric dentistry to increase the number of individuals who pursue academic programs in pediatric dentistry.

ADA Foundation Awards Grant to Educate Pediatricians in Oral Health Care

The American Dental Association Foundation (ADAF) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have announced a collaborative effort that will help improve the oral health of children in a critical age group. "Working Together for Oral Health," funded by an ADAF grant, will provide pediatricians with the tools they need to assess the oral health of children, particularly those aged 0-3, who can develop dental problems before they see a dentist for the first time. The grant will provide up to $100,000 annually for three years.

The ADA Foundation grant will fund annual train-the-trainer oral health summits at which pediatricians will learn to conduct oral health risk assessments (including oral screening exams), teach families about oral health and prevention, and refer children to a dental home. Over three years, all 66 AAP chapters will have the opportunity to send representatives, who will return home to lead training in their home states. The grant will also fund an oral health preceptorship program that provides pediatricians in underserved areas with the support to promote oral health for the most vulnerable children. Ten awards will be given per year.

Access to oral health care is critical for the early identification and prevention of childhood caries. Unfortunately, many children in the 0-3 age group never see a dentist, especially economically disadvantaged children and those who live in areas without ready access to a dentist. Because pediatricians see children early and frequently, they can play a role in identifying high-risk children.

The AAP has recognized the rise of oral disease in young children and oral health is a key part of its strategic plan.

"We're grateful to the ADA Foundation for recognizing the importance of the role pediatricians can play in maintaining the oral health of young children," said Renee Jenkins, MD, FAAP, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. "By arming pediatricians with the tools they need to assess oral health risk, we can begin to reduce the number of children who need but don't receive dental care and build a solid foundation for their oral health."

Dental Public Health Issues in Print

 

Children's Dental Health Month Resource

The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC) in collaboration with the Maternal and Child Health Library at Georgetown University released a new edition of its knowledge path about oral health and pregnant women, infants, children and adolescents. Presented in time for Children's Dental Health Month, this electronic resource guide points to resources that analyze data, describe programs, and report on policy and research aimed at improving access to and the quality of oral health care. The knowledge path is available OHRC website.

AAP Releases Statement on Risk Assessment

As part of its ongoing commitment to the prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases, The American Academy of Periodontology has released a Statement on Risk Assessment. Published in the February issue of the Journal of Periodontology, the statement is intended to encourage dental professionals to use risk assessment as a key component of all comprehensive dental and periodontal evaluations.

Research has demonstrated that a variety of factors can influence the development, presentation, and progression of periodontal disease. These risk factors include smoking, poor oral hygiene, and the presence of other disease states, such as diabetes or heart disease, gender, age, and number of missing teeth. Assessing the patient's risk factors allows the dental professional to better predict the likelihood that the patient will develop periodontal disease and can assist in prevention or early identification of the disease.

While additional research is needed to determine the specific predictive value of individual risk factors on a patient's periodontal health, preliminary studies have suggested that proactive, targeted treatment may ultimately reduce a patient's risk for aggressive disease and may reduce overall health care costs. A copy of the statement is available online at AAP Risk Assessment.

Kaiser Analyzes Changes in Wages and Benefits

A new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation examines changes in wages and benefits since the 1960s, and concludes that one way working families may be feeling the impact of rising health care costs is through smaller increases in their paychecks. With health insurance premiums growing four times faster than workers' earnings from 2001 to 2007 (78 percent compared to 19 percent, respectively), workers and employers are paying increasing attention to health care costs.

The study focuses on the growth in health insurance costs paid by employers and changes in the size of health care expenses compared with wages, other benefits, and national gross domestic product. It finds that the total amount employers spent on group health insurance policies has grown more than twenty-fold in constant 2006 dollars from $23 billion in 1960 to $537 billion in 2006. Employer payments for health benefits increased as a share of total compensation in every decade, while wages fell as a share of employee compensation.

Total compensation-wages plus benefits-as a share of our national gross domestic product has remained fairly stable during the period, with wages consistently the largest component of worker compensation. However, average health benefit costs paid by employers have increased from 0.6 percent of gross domestic product in 1960 to 4.1 percent in 2006. The report, Wages and Benefits: A Long-Term View, is available online.

February Literature Search

State Medicaid coverage for tobacco-dependence treatments--United States, 2006. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2008; 57(5):117-122. Abstract.

Adler NE, Rehkopf DH. U.S. Disparities in health: Description, causes, and mechanisms. Annu Rev Public Health 2007.2007 Nov 21 [Epub ahead of print]. Abstract.

Akpabio A, Klausner CP, Inglehart MR. Mothers'/guardians' knowledge about promoting children's oral health. J Dent Hyg 2008; 82(1):12. Abstract.

Allen EM, Ziada HM, O'Halloran D, et al. Attitudes, awareness and oral health-related quality of life in patients with diabetes. J Oral Rehabil 2008; 35(3):218-223. Abstract.

Baba K, Inukai M, John MT. Feasibility of oral health-related quality of life assessment in prosthodontic patients using abbreviated Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaires. J Oral Rehabil 2008; 35(3):224-228.Abstract.

Babones SJ. Income inequality and population health: Correlation and causality. Soc Sci Med 2008 Jan 25 [Epub ahead of print]. Abstract.

Bluestein J. Who is accountable for racial equity in health care? JAMA 2008; 299(7):814-816. JAMA Online

Cohen JT, Neumann PJ, Weinstein MC. Does preventive care save money? Health economics and the Presidential candidates. N Engl J Med. 2008; 358(7):661-663. Read online.

Devlin H, Horner K. Diagnosis of osteoporosis in oral health care. J Oral Rehabil 2008; 35(2):152-157. Abstract.

Eslava-Schmalbach J, Alfonso H, Oliveros H, et al. A new Inequity-in-Health Index based on Millenium Development Goals: Methodology and validation. J Clin Epidemiol 2008; 61(2):142-150. Abstract.

Frohlich KL, Potvin L. Transcending the known in public health practice: The inequality paradox: The population approach and vulnerable populations. Am J Public Health 2008; 98(2):216-221. Abstract.

Gehshan S. Foundations' role in improving oral health: Nothing to smile about. Health Aff (Millwood ) 2008; 27(1):281-287. Abstract.

Griffin SO, Oong E, Kohn W, et al. The effectiveness of sealants in managing caries lesions. J Dent Res 2008; 87(2):169-174. Abstract.

Ismail AI, Sohn W, Tellez M, et al. Risk indicators for dental caries using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS). Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2008; 36(1):55-68. Abstract.

Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. Health Coverage for Children and Families in Medicaid and SCHIP: State Efforts Face New Hurdles. January 2008. Kaiser Family Foundation online.

Kaufman JS. Epidemiologic analysis of racial/ethnic disparities: Some fundamental issues and a cautionary example. Soc Sci Med 2008 Jan 11 [Epub ahead of print]. Abstract.

Kolker JL, Yuan Y, Burt BA, et al. Dental caries and dietary patterns in low-income African American children. Pediatr Dent 2007; 29(6):457-464. Abstract.

Kuttner R. Market-based failure -- A second opinion on U.S. health care costs. N Engl J Med. 2008; 358(6):549-551. Read online.

Lauterbach M, Martins IP, Castro-Caldas A, et al. Neurological outcomes in children with and without amalgam-related mercury exposure: Seven years of longitudinal observations in a randomized trial. J Am Dent Assoc 2008; 139(2):138-145. Abstract.

Mansyur C, Amick BC, Harrist RB, Franzini L. Social capital, income inequality, and self-rated health in 45 countries. Soc Sci Med 2008; 66(1):43-56. Abstract.

Marino R, Schofield M, Wright C, et al. Self-reported and clinically determined oral health status predictors for quality of life in dentate older migrant adults. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2008; 36(1):85-94. Abstract.

McCoy LC, Wehler CJ, Rich SE, et al. Adverse events associated with chlorhexidine use: Results from the Department of Veterans Affairs Dental Diabetes Study. J Am Dent Assoc 2008; 139(2):178-183. Abstract.

Nainar SM. Comparison of pediatric dental practitioner workforce in the Midwestern United States: 1990 and 2000. Pediatr Dent 2007; 29(6):488-492. Abstract.

Osso D, Tinanoff N, Romberg E, et al. Relationship of naturally occurring fluoride in Carroll County, Maryland to aquifers, well depths, and fluoride supplementation prescribing behaviors. J Dent Hyg 2008; 82(1):10. Abstract.

Pitiphat W, Joshipura KJ, Gillman MW, et al. Maternal periodontitis and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2008; 36(1):3-11. Abstract.

Satcher D, Higginbotham EJ. The public health approach to eliminating disparities in health. Am J Public Health 2008 Jan 30 [Epub ahead of print]. Abstract.

Smith BJ, Ghezzi EM, Manz MC, Markova CP. Perceptions of oral health adequacy and access in Michigan nursing facilities. Gerodontology 2008 Jan 14 [Epub ahead of print]. Abstract.

Sweet M, Moynihan R. Improving Population Health: The Uses of Systematic Reviews. 2008, Milbank Memorial Fund and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read online.

Tewogbade A, Fitzgerald K, Prachyl D, et al. Attitudes and practices of nurses on a pediatric cancer and stem cell transplant ward: Adaptation of an oral care protocol. Spec Care Dentist 2008; 28(1):12-18. Abstract.

Winter K, Baccaglini L, Tomar S. A review of malocclusion among individuals with mental and physical disabilities. Spec Care Dentist 2008; 28(1):19-26. Abstract.

Zhu HW, McGrath C, McMillan AS, Li LS. Can caregivers be used in assessing oral health-related quality of life among patients hospitalized for acute medical conditions? Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2008; 36(1):27-33.Abstract.

Announcements

UM School of Public Health Announces New Program

The University of Michigan (UM) Program in Dental Public Health is in the process of obtaining approvals to start an executive MPH program in collaboration with the UM Executive Health Management and Policy (HMP) program. The program will start in August 2008. The MPH/MP/DPH is now accepting applications (deadline is May 1). A series of courses on dental public health sciences will be offered over a two-year period using an executive format (one session every two months in Ann Arbor and online/team learning). The courses will include a community research project to be conducted in a field setting. The students will take the same courses offered in the Executive HMP program that meets all competencies of the specialty of dental public health. The HMP program is the #1 rated program in health management and policy in the US since 1993 (U.S. News and World Report).

This new program will be offered to dentists and dental hygienists (BS). Students can enroll and study while maintaining their regular work schedules in any state or country.

This new track fits well with the new program that was initiated last year to train dentists to work in community health clinics as well as take courses for the MPH degree. The Advanced Dental Residency Education in Public Health (ADREACH) has received applications from U.S. dentists who are interested in advance their clinical training and study public health.

Application to the new program can be submitted online: University of Michigan School of Public Health. GRE scores are required.

The Program in Dental Public Health at the University of Michigan was founded in 1941. While the traditional graduate program has evolved over the last 60 years, radical changes are required to meet the challenges facing DPH education. The executive program combined with a MPH in health management and policy is a new track designed to meet the current challenges facing training of specialists in dental public health. The new program will enable practicing dentists and dental hygienists to learn about the field of public health and management of health care organizations at one of the top schools of public health in the US.

The Program still offers the traditional 60-credit hour MPH program and welcomes PhD students in epidemiology/oral health.

Submitted by Amid Ismail, Director, Program in Dental Public Health

 

 HRSA Office of Rural Health Policy Plans to Study Oral Health Workforce

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has made an important investment to improve understanding of the nation's oral health workforce. Through a contract with the Institutes of Medicine (IOM) and with the support of Dr. Elizabeth M. Duke, Director, HRSA/ORHP has contributed $100,000 in FY08 (with a $100,000 option year) to examine the status of the oral health workforce. This effort is in the planning phase with IOM in order to revise and refine the contract work plan.

The initial contract calls for IOM to convene a public conference or workshop on dental workforce, including prominent speakers and ample time for a question and answer session. As a final product, a report on the themes of the workshop would be produced. This report would become part of a larger report on the health workforce that the IOM is planning to conduct over the next three years. The oral health workforce questions being discussed and reported on are:

1. The current status of access to oral health care for the U.S. population. Workshop participants will pay special attention to underserved populations such as children, elderly populations, and rural populations.

2. Identify workforce strategies that hold promise to improve access to oral health services. This includes examination of new roles or types of providers, and the relationship between the oral health, public health, and medical health care workforces.

3. Identify how policy makers, State and Federal governments, and oral health care providers can improve the regulations and structure of oral health care delivery to improve access to care. This will include an examination of limitations on scopes of practice, reimbursement issues, and other State and Federal regulations that affect access to oral health care.

Michelle Goodman in ORHP is the project officer.