Virginia Oral Health Coalition Bulletin

Excellent Oral Health for ALL Virginians

In This Issue

The Coalition is Moving Feb. 1

Join Us January 30

Of Interest

The Coalition is Moving Feb. 1!

New Address:

4200 Innslake Drive

Suite 103

Glen Allen, VA 23060

Effective February 1, the Coalition is moving to a new office space in Richmond's West End. Please update your records with our new address (above).

If you need to contact us during the transition, send us a message at info@vaoralhealth.org or visit our website for up-to-date information.

Register for Legislative Day

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Register Now

Remind Virginia policy-makers that, when individuals don't have access to oral health services, it harms their health and Virginia's economy.

Click here to register

Read about the Coalition's accomplishments.

Please check with your HR department to find out if your gift can be matched.

January 2013 Bulletin

Join Us on January 30 to Protect Oral Health Access in Virginia

Join us for Legislative Day on Wednesday, January 30 to ask legislators to improve oral health access in Virginia. Let your voice be heard as we advocate to fund dental care for 16,000 children and extend coverage for emergency dental extractions to nearly 250,000 working adults.

The oral health of Virginia's most vulnerable was compromised after funding to state-supported dental clinics was not restored in the second year of the executive budget. The Coalition supports budget amendments 296 #2h (Del. O'Bannon) and 296 #1s (Sen. Hanger) to restore funding to these clinics through FY2014 in order to implement a targeted transition plan that will focus on preventative, cost-saving care.

The Commonwealth also has the unprecendented opportunity to extend coverage for emergency dental extractions to nearly 250,000 uninsured Virginians, which will cut down on unnecessary hospital costs and greatly improve health outcomes. The Coalition supports budget amendments 307 #8h (Del. O'Bannon) and 307 #38s (Sen. Hanger) to expand insurance coverage to uninsured Virginians in working families.

Legislative Day is free and open to all, and the Coalition will provide talking points, breakfast and lunch. If you have any questions, please contact us at info@vaoralhealth.org.

Click here to register for Legislative Day.

Of Interest

Oral Health and Overall Health

Smile Circle Oral health and overall health are fundamentally intertwined. The following links present current information on how oral health is connected to overall health well-being.

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ADA Review on Midlevel Providers

An ADA literature review on irreversible procedures done by midlevels providers (MLPs) finds insufficient evidence to compare their effectiveness with that of dentists. Other organizations, like AAPHD, found additional conclusions from the study to support MLPs.

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Virginia Earns a "C" on School-Based Dental Sealant Program

Virginia earned a "C" in a recent report from the Pew Center on the States that graded each state on its school-based sealant program. While Virginia earned points for its success in expanding dental hygienists' scope of work in public health programs, it lost points for not having a sealant program in more than 75% of high-need schools.

Read the full report and watch this video on Virginia's sealant program.

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VCU to Host Emswiller Interprofessional Symposium - March 9

VTC Students

Virginia Commonwealth University is set to host its first annual Emswiller Interprofessional (IP) Symposium on Saturday, March 9, 2013, in Richmond to discuss the future of the IP practice environment. Several expert speakers in dentistry - Drs. John Luther and Bud Conklin - will present, among others. CE credit and student rates available.