Newsletter of the 
American Association of Public Health Dentistry
 
Cas Evans
Cas Evans
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
December 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
 
Save the Date! 
 
 
 
National Oral Health Conference
 
Pursuing Excellence in Dental Public Health
 
April 20-22, 2009
Douobletree Hotel & Portland-Lloyd Center
Portland, Oregon 

President's Message

Mark H.K. Greer, DMD, MPH 
 

ADA Introductory Membership Discount

In the spirit of collaboration, I bring to your attention a limited time Mark Greeropportunity for a membership discount presently offered by the American Dental Association for dentists who work in a public health setting. The 50 percent discount offer is conditional and limited to the ADA portion of the tri-partite dues structure to dentists who had never been members before and who work in a public health setting. It is good only for 2009 membership and is limited to those who join prior by March 31, 2009. State dental associations may offer a comparable discount; however, the rates may vary by state association. Check with your state dental association or local dental society for more information.

The ADA estimates 800 dentists nationally qualify for this offer. Through membership and our direct involvement, we have the opportunity to influence the future of organized dentistry in the U.S. and, with that we could have a stronger influence on the future of public policy and the oral health status of the communities we serve. When an ADA member, please take every opportunity to represent and support 'public health dentistry' by getting actively involved on a state and local level to help assure that community health issues are heard and fully appreciated and that community oral health practice is represented. AAPHD and ADA believe that our organizations are strengthened through cross-fertilization and collaboration, particularly on issues, or even components of issues, which we do agree upon.

For past non-ADA members, this is an opportunity to start influencing the future of the all of the tri-partite units of the ADA. For current joint AAPHD and ADA members, please join us by taking the opportunity to get (more) involved by joining committees on the national, state and local levels and pursuing leadership opportunities.

Let's set the stage for the 'New World Order' by assuring that we positively and substantively influence the future vision and philosophies of the ADA through our active participation.
Association in Action
 

Update from the AAPHD National Office

In the past few months, the Executive Council has been involved in a number of activities with partner associations. In October, the leadership met with the ADA leadership during the ADA Annual Meeting in San Antonio. Present from the ADA were John Findley, Jane Grover, Lindsey Robinson, John Luther, Bill Prentice, Lewis Lampiris, Steve Rauchenecker, and Steve Geiermann. Present for AAPHD were Mark Greer, Scott Tomar, Ana Karina Mascarenhas, Caswell Evans, Mary Foley and Pam Tolson.

The discussion included:

-     ADA's positive response to Don Marianos' presentation to the ADA Future of Health Care/Universal Coverage Task Force.

-     A review of CAPIR reports and resolutions going before the house with an emphasis by the ADA on the need for public health testimony during reference committee hearings.

-     Update on recent and future activities of significance in the access arena including: Medicaid Symposium, Access Summit, AI/AN Summit, PH Advisory Committee, OralLongevity™ and elder care, access advocacy coalitions, survey of state dental associations regarding involvement with state oral health coalitions and development of state plans, and Give Kids A Smile expansion. AAPHD will participate in the Summits and PH Advisory Committee.

-     Acknowledgment and thanks by AAPHD for the limited offer of first year discounted ADA dues for new members among public health dentists.

-     ADA appreciation for AAPHD participation in EBD reviews.

AAPHD will continue to meet regularly with ADA staff and volunteers in response to member's directive for a working relationship with ADA (2007 AAPHD Membership Survey). Challenges with the dental public health workforce, training, candidate pool and DPH practice are a focus for both organizations. The foundational element for collaboration between public health and ADA is to move focus from dentistry to oral health.

Finally, AAPHD representatives, in cooperation with ASTDD representatives, provided testimony in the Reference Hearings on numerous items and specifically those affecting the CAPIR Council. We are pleased to report that all resolutions supported with regards to CAPIR were passed by the ADA House of Delegates.

At the recent ASTDD Partner's Meeting in Phoenix, AAPHD supported the recommendation for another Healthy People 2020 Meeting. Earlier this year ASTDD and AAPHD partnered to bring together 15 dental organizations to coordinate testimony at the HP 2020 six "listening sessions" held throughout the country this year. Over 12 organizations participated and feedback from the hearings has indicated that "dental public health" issues were well represented and voiced. Consensus was to plan for another meeting to prepare for more formal input to HP 2020 and to the health care reform discussions. The meeting will likely be scheduled in the first quarter of 2009.

AAPHD Committees in Action

-     The Nominating Committee, chaired by Caswell Evans, has completed recruitment of a slate for the 2009 Executive Council. Ballots will be available electronically by year's end.

-     The Bylaws Taskforce, chaired by Raul Garcia, is finalizing a number of recommended changes to the Bylaws in response to changes in the Illinois Not-For-Profit Act and the need to authorize the development of AAPHD Chapters.The Membership Committee, co-chaired by Amos Deinard and Emanuel Finn, has also provided input.

-     The Foundation Committee, chaired by Linda Niessen, is reviewing applications for the 2009 Herschel S. Horowitz Scholarship with the selection to be announced at the 2009 NOHC. The Foundation also released a Call for Proposals for a new grant program (included in this Communiqué).

-     The Oral Health Policy & Advocacy Committee, chaired by Ardell Wilson, and a taskforce, chaired by Judith Jones, have reviewed all AAPHD policies, resolutions and white papers and have made recommendations to update, achieve and develop new positions in the near future. Many volunteers will be needed to work on special sub-committees or taskforces to implement these recommendations. Watch for "Calls for Volunteers" later in this issue and in the near future.

-     The EC has authorized development of a Speaker's Bureau to reach out to dental and dental hygiene schools about a number of topics including the need to strengthen the dental public health workforce. Ana Karina Mascarenhas has undertaken this development with input from the AAPHD/ASTDD/ADA Joint Workforce Committee, co-chaired with Steve Geiermann.

At its most recent meeting, the EC approved establishment of a taskforce to develop a Summit on the Future of Dental Public Health. President Mark Greer and President-elect, Scott Tomar have taken the lead on this project. More information is forthcoming in January.

Call for Volunteers! The Oral Health Policy & Advocacy Committee is seeking volunteers to serve on two sub-committees. If you have an interest in serving, please contact the sub-committee chair directly! Thank you!

Tobacco Cessation Sub-committee, Dionne Richardson, Chair: dricha@lsuhsc.edu

Medical/Dental Home Sub-committee, Joseli Alves-Dunkerson, Chair: Joseli.alves-dunkerson@DOH.WA.GOV

American Dental Association Offers Reduced Dues for Public Health Dentists

The American Dental Association is "America's leading advocate for oral health." This means the ADA remains committed to improving oral health for the public and advocating for the many issues facing the dental profession, including those that are so important to public health dentists: loan repayment, scholarships, increasing funding for HRSA and the continued impact of issues related to fluoridation, choice of restorative materials and access to care.

The ADA is interested in having a stronger representation within its membership of public health dentists who are so committed to the vital oral health needs of all Americans. In 2009, the ADA will offer a one-time 50 percent reduction in dues for those dentists, working in state or local public health settings, who do not already belong to the association; so more public health dentists have an opportunity to join and experience the value of ADA membership. For the first time, the ADA will offer this special promotional incentive for nonmember dentists working in public/community health settings at the state or local level to receive a full year of membership for just $249, half of the regular dues. Some state and local associations may also mirror the ADA's offer.

Although a mailing will be going out to all public health dentists in the ADA database, here is how you can take advantage of this offer:

-     Send an e-mail to membership@ada.org with "I'm a public health dentist" in the subject line. We'll send you an application and additional informational about this special promotion.

-     Visit ADA.org to download a tripartite application and be sure to indicate "PUBLIC HEALTH" next to "OTHER" in the question that asks about your current practice situation.

-     A mailing will be going out by the end of November to nonmember public health dentists.

For specific questions, please contact Chris Mitchell, the ADA's Manager of Membership Marketing, at 312-440-2864, or via e-mail at mitchellc@ada.org.

Call for Proposals: AAPHD Foundation Grant Program

The AAPHD Foundation was established to "support the mission and goals of the Association." The Foundation's Guiding Principles and funding areas of interest (highlighted as of August 2004) identify an array of topics for which support can be provided. This announcement launches a pilot of the AAPHD Foundation Grant Program designed to stimulate innovative activities that would contribute to the AAPHD mission and goals with support from the Foundation.  

Grant Program Focus: The focus of the AAPHD Foundation Grant Program is to fund projects that fall within the areas of interest identified in 2004. These topics cover a broad range of issues and societal needs that include:

-     Improved access to personal and population based oral health services

-     Building and strengthening the dental public health workforce

-     Translating science into practice

-     Maintaining competency in dental public health.

Grant Program Design: Several concepts guide the design of the grant program:

-     The program will provide "small grants" that serve as an incentive to individuals and entities to move science/policy/practice to the "next step" toward enhancing oral health.

-     Priority will be given to individuals who are at an early stage of their public health careers.

-     The funding activity must have a limited duration, up to one year. However, a non-funded extension may be granted for one additional year in order to complete the project.

-     The recipient(s) would be required to report/present at an AAPHD Annual Meeting following their grant award.

 Award Budget: Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded. The grant will not pay university indirect costs. The grant may be paid directly to individuals, institutions or sponsoring organizations.

Grant Program Timeline:

January 31, 2009 - Proposals Due

February 1 - March 31, 2009 Proposal Review

April 2009 - Announce/Inform Grant Recipients

Foundation Grant Recipients may be recognized during the AAPHD Awards Ceremony at the National Oral Health Conference and in the NOHC Program.

Application Format and Submission: The application format includes a short proposal that is no more than five pages, using 12-point Arial or Times New Roman font. The proposal should include the following:

A.     Aims of the Project and Responsiveness to the Program Goals

B.     Preliminary Studies and Project Team

C.    Methods and Materials

D.    Anticipated Outcomes and Deliverables

E.     Budget (May include PI salary, supplies and travel to the  NOHC to present.)

F.     Biosketch for Key Personnel.

Submission Information: All applications should be submitted electronically on CD to:

AAPHD Foundation

c/o American Assn of Public Health Dentistry

3085 Stevenson Dr., #200

Springfield, IL 62703

For additional information, please contact Pam Tolson, Executive Director, 217-529-6941 or natoff@aaphd.org.

Grant Review Process: Dr. Kathyrn Atchison will chair the grant review process. A review committee comprised of AAPHD members, supported administratively by one to two members of the Foundation Committee will be convened to review the proposals. The review would be conducted electronically and recommendations made to the Foundation Committee for their final determination. The funding guidelines specified for the Foundation would serve as the primary and secondary review criteria.

Requirements of Award Recipients: Award recipients must be members of AAPHD, submit a mid-year brief report to the Foundation and present a poster at an annual National Oral Health Conference following the completion of their project. In addition, a final report will be provided to the AAPHD Foundation that includes an evaluation and a financial and program summary of the project's results.

Members in the News

 

Garcia Leads Research Center

 

Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine has received a $14.5 million grant to fund the Center for Research to Evaluate and Eliminate Dental Disparities (CREEDD) until 2015. The grant is the largest award in the school's history and among the ten largest at the BU Medical Campus. Raul Garcia, Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research, will serve as Principal Investigator and Professor and Assistant Dean for Community Partnerships and Extramural Affairs. Michelle Henshaw will serve as Co-Principal Investigator.

CREEDDs mission is to improve oral, dental and craniofacial health through research, research training and the dissemination of health information, as well as to eliminate oral health disparities. The Center began working toward this goal in 2001 when the NIDCR and National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities funded the Center. It is one of five national centers for oral health disparities. The funding for these centers is the largest expenditure in the history of NIDCR.
Dental Public Health Issues In Print
 

Researchers Caution that Tooth Loss May Increase Risk of Chronic Kidney Disease in U.S. Adults

According to the National Kidney Foundation, one out of nine Americans suffers from chronic kidney disease (CKD), and millions more are at risk. A debilitating disease, CKD can affect blood pressure and bone health, and can eventually lead to heart disease or kidney failure. A recent study published in the Journal of Periodontology suggests that edentulous adults may be more likely to have CKD than dentate adults. In the study conducted at Case Western Reserve University, edentulism was found to be significantly associated with CKD, indicating that oral care may play a role in reducing the prevalence of chronic kidney disease in the U.S. population. 

The study examined the kidney function and periodontal health indicators, including dentate status, of 4,053 U.S. adults 40 years of age and older. After adjusting for recognized risk factors of CKD such as age, race/ethnicity and smoking status, the results revealed that participants who lost all their teeth were more likely to have CKD than patients who had maintained their natural dentition.

While additional research is needed to fully understand why tooth loss is associated with higher prevalence of CKD, the destructive nature of chronic inflammation may play a role. Both periodontal disease and chronic kidney disease are considered inflammatory conditions, and previous research has suggested that inflammation may be the common link between these diseases. Since untreated periodontal disease can ultimately lead to tooth loss, edentulous patients may have been exposed to chronic oral inflammation.

Fisher,Taylor, Papapanou, Rahman, Debanne. Clinical and serologic markers of periodontal infection and chronic kidney disease. J Periodontol 2008; 79(9):1670-8. Click to read the abstract.

Oral Hygiene Curbs Pneumonia Risk in Elderly

Among nursing home residents, having a nursing aide help them maintain good oral hygiene lowers the odds of them dying from pneumonia, a study suggests.

Pneumonia is the leading cause of death in elderly nursing home residents, Carol W. Bassim points out in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Bassim, now at NIDCR in Bethesda and her associates studied the impact of enhanced oral hygiene care for residents in two wards at a Florida nursing home compared with residents in two other wards. Initially, there was no difference in the mortality rate from pneumonia between the two groups. However, patients in the oral care group were older and more disabled than those who did not receive oral care; once this was taken into account, the risk of dying from pneumonia was more than three times higher in patients who did not receive oral care.

Bassim, Gibson, Ward, Paphides, Denucci. Modification of the risk of mortality from pneumonia with oral hygiene care. J Am Geriatr Soc 2008 Aug 4. Click to read the abstract.

Study Examines Current Spending on Health Care for the Uninsured

A new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation's Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured estimates that the uninsured will spend $30 billion out-of-pocket for health care in 2008 and incur $56 billion in uncompensated care, three-quarters of which will be financed by government resources. These findings were published in a web-exclusive article in Health Affairs. The study also projects the additional cost for medical care once all the uninsured are covered by insurance. A summary of the findings with a link to the Health Affairs article online.

National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center Features for December 2008

State Laws on Dental "Screening" for School-Age Children. Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors; Children's Dental Health Project

Guidelines for Oral Health Screening in Ohio's Schools. Ohio Department of Health.

Call for Materials: Promoting Oral Health in Schools. Share your publications, such as curricula, policy statements, clinical guidelines, manuals and protocols, with OHRC for inclusion in a resource guide on promoting oral health in schools.

Announcements

 

SMILE! To Delta Dental and National Head Start Association, It's Worth $10,000

Delta Dental Plans Association recently launched "The 10,000 Smiles Project" and aims to collect 10,000 photos of people smiling on its unique microsite at www.10000smilesproject.com. When the 10,000th photo is uploaded, Delta Dental Plans Association will donate $10,000 to the National Head Start Association, its designated philanthropic partner.

"Delta Dental Plans Association created this project as a fun and creative way for people to help us support the National Head Start Association and the young children it serves," says Tom Dolatowski, marketing vice president at Delta Dental Plans Association. As a social media experiment, it takes advantage of the internet to reach out to individuals across the U.S. and encourage them to upload smiling photos of themselves, their children, friends, family and coworkers."

Social media, in this case, refers to Delta Dental's microsite where people can share their photos, and stories about those photos, as a community. Social media in a broader context refers to online tools that empower people engage in conversation and collaborate in content creation. Internet forums, weblogs, wikis, and applications such as Facebook and YouTube are examples of social media networks.

The project builds upon Delta Dental Plans Association's existing partnership with the National Head Start Association. In 2007, the two organizations formed a special alliance to help improve the oral health of some of the nation's youngest children at a critical time in their development.

 

Trident® Supports OHA's Smiles Across America®

Smiles Across America® received a three-year $1,500,000 National Sponsorship from Trident®, a Cadbury brand. Trident's support represents the first multi-year commitment and the first donation over $1 million for SAA. The award was announced at PS42, a New York City public school, accompanied by Jennie Garth ("90210") who spoke about the importance of oral health care and led oral hygiene demonstrations for the school children. Faculty and dental students from SAA treatment partner New York University College of Dentistry were on hand to provide dental exams and sealants to the children.

The National Sponsorship goes beyond a financial commitment to Smiles Across America to include on-going public relations and marketing. As a first step, Trident has developed an awareness campaign, running now in People, Parade and US Weekly, encouraging public support for the program at www.TridentCares4Kids.org.

Smiles Across America provides resources, technical assistance, and donated dental product to communities across the country that are expanding school dental services in response to high rates of dental caries among children. The program supports preventive dental care for over 90,000 uninsured and underinsured children annually, and that number is expected to double with Trident's funding. Since 2004, over $1.1 million in Smiles Across America grants have been awarded to school oral health programs in eight regions of the country. To learn about how you can participate, visit www.oralhealthamerica.org.