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Virginia Oral Health Coalition Update

October 2016

In This Issue
 
Upcoming VaOHC Meetings
 
Early Dental Home Workgroup, Project Advisory Board
Friday, November 4
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

To RSVP, contact Regina Potis.



NEW DATE: 
December 16
Free CE Event in Southwest Virginia

The Virginia Department of Health and the Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services have partnered with VaOHC to offer a free CE program in Wytheville, Virginia on Friday, December 16, for dental providers who wish to improve their skills in treating adults with special health care needs. (Note: This program was previously scheduled for November 18.)



Please take a moment and support the Coalition's work.

 

 

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

  

Virginia Oral Health Coalition

4200 Innslake Drive

Glen Allen, Virginia 23060

sholland@vaoralhealth.org

804.269.8720

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Register Today for the Virginia Oral Health Summit 



Thursday, November 10
The Westin Richmond

We are thrilled to host the 2016 Virginia Oral Health Summit next week in Richmond! 
Pre-registration for the Summit ends this Wednesday, November 2. Months of hard work by VaOHC staff and partners will culminate at the Summit when the final Virginia Oral Health Report Card is unveiled. The dynamic agenda will explore measures, trends, research and activities in Virginia to gauge population health and identify opportunities for improvement. As always, CE credit and a hot lunch are included with registration. 
CDC Report: Dental Sealants Prevent Cavities

A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report shows that dental sealants are an effective and inexpensive way to prevent cavities, especially among low-income children. Sealants prevent up to 80% of cavities in back teeth; yet, children in low-income families are 20% less likely to get sealants, compared to peers from higher-income groups. Untreated cavities cause pain, infection and problems with eating, and can inhibit social interaction and learning. The CDC's October 2016 Vital Signs fact sheet outlines ways state officials can enhance school-based sealant programs to help more children prevent cavities.
Oral Health Integration Implementation Guide 

The Safety Net Medical Home Initiative which offers an Oral Health Deilvery Framework now includes a companion resource: Oral Health Integration Implementation Guide. The Guide is intended to provide advice and instructions for primary care teams as they integrate the Framework and engage in oral health; it reflects the experiences, challenges and successes of 19 field-testing sites who implemented the Framework and includes myriad resources, such as an implementation guide, field-testing results and case examples, an annotated oral health integration toolset, and more.


If you're interested in Virginia-specific oral health integration information, check out the Oral Health Integration Toolkit on the VaOHC website.
Of Interest
  
Oral Health and Overall Health

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

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Fluoride Varnish: A Resource Guide

The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center has released the second edition of Fluoride Varnish: A Resource Guide. This publication provides an annotated list of resources on the use and application of fluoride varnish, as well as lists of federal agencies, national professional associations, resource centers and national coalitions that may serve as resources. The Resource Guide and other related tools are available for free download here.

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It's National Dental Hygiene Month!

October is National Dental Hygiene Month! As the ADHA suggests, thank a dental hygienist today for their hard work, and start the conversation about the importance of good oral health. 

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Update: Free Access to Publication 

In our September update, we mentioned an article written by one of our partners, "Impacting Vulnerable Populations Through Integrating Oral Health Care Into Nurse-Managed Health Centers." The full-text version of this article is now available for free online through December 7. View and download the article.

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