Recognizing “Excellent” Dental Programs

By Dr. Mark Doherty, Executive Director, DentaQuest Institute

The DentaQuest Institute had the great honor of hosting the John Rossetti Memorial dinner at the 2011 National Primary Oral Health Conference. John was a personal friend and a great advisor to the DentaQuest Institute and its Safety Net Solutions program. He was one of the program’s first Expert Advisors – our elite faculty of experienced public health dentists who are mentoring safety net dental programs across the United States. It was a great privilege to host the memorial dinner and to endow our annual Centers of Excellence Awards with John’s name.

The John Rossetti Centers for Excellence awards recognize elite safety net dental programs of 2011– programs that displayed tremendous leadership and excellence in oral health practice management, greatly improving access to care and the oral health status of their patients. The recipients of this award provided the leadership and initiative necessary to make positive change “stick” within their dental programs.

The five 2011 Centers of Excellence partnered with Safety Net Solutions technical assistance and practice management consulting over the course of the past year. They were challenged to institute difficult changes with the goals of increasing access, promoting financial sustainability and improving oral health outcomes.

The five programs selected this year truly deserve the “Excellent” title – they have outstanding evaluation data to show that the changes they implemented have lead to measurable improvements in many areas of the dental program.

The 2011 Safety Net Solutions Centers of Excellence are:

• HealthCare Connection in Ohio
• Native American Health Center in California
• Dental Center of NorthWest Ohio
• Harbor Health in Massachusetts
• Wake Health Services in North Carolina

We commend each of these Centers for Excellence, and thank all of the safety net dental programs for being examples of sustainable dental care in their communities. I think John Rossetti would be proud of all of them.

What you don’t know about oral health may hurt you

By Dr. Doyle Williams, Chief Dental Officer

When people hear the phrase, “I’m in good health,” chances are they aren’t thinking about their mouths.

But you should. A regular check up with your dentist is as important as an annual physical. If you are someone who is afraid of the dentist and only make an appointment when you are in pain – think of this: regular preventive care is not painful and it will help prevent painful visits in the future. Good oral health serves much more than cosmetic purposes – it is integral to your overall good health.

Teeth, gums and oral soft tissue are all susceptible to a range of conditions and diseases, including cavities, gingivitis and oral cancer. The irony is that dental disease – cavities and gum disease – are nearly 100 percent preventable if you know what to do. It’s what you don’t know about oral health that may hurt you. That’s oral health literacy.

Culturally-competent oral health literacy is as important as seeing an oral health professional. For some, a painful tooth may be enough reason to schedule a visit with a dentist. But others may wait to see bleeding, swelling, or a fever before thinking about getting care.

That’s the challenge of oral health literacy – making sure people know how to care for their teeth and gums, making sure they know the signs for concern, and making sure they know when and where to go for help.

Here are two examples:

• The U.S. Surgeon General stressed that parents who are unfamiliar with the importance and care of their child’s primary teeth are unlikely to take appropriate action that may prevent Early Childhood Caries (ECC). That includes food choices, bedtime bottle routines, daily oral hygiene, and failure to see a health professional as the baby teeth are starting to come in.

• Recently, a 24-year old father from Cincinnati, Ohio died from a tooth infection because he could not afford his medication. When his face and mouth began to swell, the man visited the emergency room at his local hospital where he was given prescriptions for pain medication and antibiotics. Because he could not afford both medications, he only filled the prescription for the pain medication. That helped the pain but the infection continued to spread, eventually to his brain.

Knowledge is power. Everyone has a role in making sure that oral health is an integral part of their overall health.

What do you think needs to be addressed to improve America’s oral health literacy?

Oral Health is Now a Leading Health Indicator

By Steve Pollock, President, DentaQuest

At the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association this week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced three new categories of Leading Health Indicators for the Healthy People 2020 campaign. The good news is oral health has been identified as a Leading Health Indicator category…finally.

Healthy People 2020 identified 17 oral health goals -- from reducing the rate of dental caries in the primary and permanent teeth of children and adolescents – to increasing the number of children, adolescents and adults who use the oral healthcare system.

HHS named Oral Health a Leading Health Indicator because it is a critical health issue that, if left unaddressed, could result in future public health problems. DentaQuest could not agree more.

Everything we do is focused on our singular mission to improve oral health. Our Preventistry^SM philosophy ensures a unique focus on prevention, disease management, quality care, and cost effective benefit program administration, and recognizes and supports the important provider-patient relationship in achieving good oral health. Our DentaQuest Institute isolates areas where we know there is a better way to prevent and manage oral disease, and works to make new and proven dental therapies routinely available in the dental office. Historically, new evidence-based care learnings take years to become accepted and practiced in the dental office setting, and the Institute is working to change that. Our DentaQuest Foundation is driving a grassroots movement across the nation to improve oral health with its Oral Health 2014 Initiative, awarding 20 state organizations funding and resources to reduce oral health disparities, one of the biggest cost drivers in the American health care system.

We are committed to our mission and intent on setting goals and measuring our success against them. We’re working on that. But with Healthy People 2020’s designation of oral health as a Leading Health Indicator, our ability to affect our mission takes a major step forward. With the endorsement of HHS and the power of Healthy People 2020 focused on oral health improvement, much will be done to prevent oral disease. Our population will be healthier and our state and national health care systems will see costs go down. Without good oral health, it’s impossible to enjoy good overall health.

Oral diseases are almost 100% preventable. With the right focus and resources, oral disease is one chronic health problem that we can target and eliminate – in our lifetime. I am convinced that with a coordinated system of collaboration and persistence, oral diseases can become a thing of the past.

Building a Movement for Optimal Oral Health

By Ralph Fuccillo, President, DentaQuest Foundation

According to a recent report from the Institute of Medicine, “Millions of Americans are not receiving needed dental care services because of "persistent and systemic" barriers that limit their access to oral health care. Nearly 5 million children went without regular dental checkups in 2008 because of financial limitations. 33.3 million Americans live in an area with a shortage of dental professionals.” Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations

Stories like this illustrate the need that drives the DentaQuest Foundation’s investments in oral health improvement at the national, state and local levels. Previously, I wrote about the DentaQuest Foundation’s support for the U.S. National Oral Health Alliance which is engaging national partners in oral health improvement goals.

People feel the pain of their inability to get needed services at the local level. So today, I am writing about the Oral Health 2014 Initiative. This new signature program of the DentaQuest Foundation is building a movement for oral health at the state and community level by supporting the work of state-based organizations that are developing effective community solutions.

When we announced the Oral Health 2014 initiative, we immediately saw a clear need and interest in community solutions for oral health across the United States. Over 200 program leaders from nearly every state joined in our Request for Proposals launch webinar in June. Seventy (70) organizations responded with their ideas. Thirty-six (36) were invited to submit a full proposal.

Today, Oral Health 2014 is taking root and moving forward in 20 states. I am enthusiastic about every one of these organizations. Each is working to build support for oral health solutions in their communities, engaging traditional and not-so-traditional partners. Oral Health 2014 is a multi-year initiative. The DentaQuest Foundation is committed to each organization’s success, providing financial and technical resources to help them move their projects forward.

This is an important moment for oral health. These 20 state organizations join the growing national movement of collaborative leaders who are aligned in their desire to address oral health disparities-- many hands working toward a common goal.

I extend the gratitude of the DentaQuest Foundation to the National Advisory Committee of leaders in community health, philanthropy, civic engagement, and members of the founding board of the U.S. National Oral Health Alliance. They provided guidance in the development of the program and the selection of grantees.

• Dr. Caswell Evans of the University of Illinois, DentaQuest Foundation Board of Directors and the U.S. National Oral Health Alliance Founding Board of Directors
• Paul Gilmer of Triana Energy and a member of the National Community Committee of the CDC Prevention Research Centers
• Dr. Leslie E. Grant of the National Dental Association and the U.S. National Oral Health Alliance Founding Board of Directors
• Marion Kane, formerly of Barr Foundation and currently on the Board of the Directors for the DentaQuest Foundation
• Dr. Dushanka Kleinman of the University of Maryland School of Public Health and the U.S. National Oral Health Alliance Founding Board of Directors
• Barbara Leonard of the Maine Health Access Foundation
• Sandra Owens Lawson of CRP Corp.
• Dr. Lindsey Robinson of the California Dental Association Foundation and the U.S. National Oral Health Alliance Founding Board of Directors, and
• Dr. Donna Shelley of New York University School of Nursing and Dentistry.

Congratulations to our new Oral Health 2014 partners! I encourage you to join them in building collaborative solutions.

The DentaQuest Foundation will continue to look for ways to support local leaders in their important work to make oral health a public health priority. We encourage every group who was interested in Oral Health 2014 to stay active as oral health advocates by contributing their talents and enthusiasm to the work of the U.S. National Oral Health Alliance which is tackling the same priority areas at the national level.

Within Dr. King’s Dream…..

Ralph Fuccillo, President, DentaQuest Foundation

“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.” Martin Luther King Jr., 1966.

When the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C. this October 16^th, America will celebrate the inclusive and powerful legacy that constituted Dr. King’s overall dream for justice. This occasion has prompted me to reflect on opportunities to add a voice to this national moment of hope that keeps Dr. King’s dream alive.

Within all the memorable words of Dr. King, those spoken on the subject of health care and inequality resound in my mind most strongly. Throughout a career dedicated to prevention and public health, I have come upon too many situations where life’s odds are stacked against those in greatest need and people who are dealing with chronic illness in our communities. When I think that we have not solved “the most shocking and inhumane forms of inequality” in the 45 years since Dr. King made this claim, I know that our work is nowhere near completed.

We are moving forward with tremendous opportunities in the era of health care reform and when the value of collaboration is being recognized as a powerful method for better decision making in many sectors. I have witnessed many examples of how changes in the conditions in which people live are making a tremendous difference in reducing inequalities. These include investments to increase access to healthy fresh foods, investments in safe places to exercise and play, and investments in community supports to navigate options for health care.

The occasion to memorialize Dr. King’s legacy is an excellent one to promote effective leadership across all sectors-- business, government and philanthropy -- to create pathways for health equity. A new program of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) encourages such collaboration. The National Partnership for Action (NPA) to End Health Disparities provides opportunities to engage in Health Equity Councils in all ten regions across the United States. Each council is engaging community-based leader across health, business, philanthropy and community to move the dial on health equity through better collaboration among stakeholders and more effective use of public and private resources to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities.

No one sector can create the conditions for better health alone. It takes a cohesive and inclusive national strategy that leverages layers of public and private sector investments and creates critical partnerships. I am honored to represent oral health and philanthropy on the Region I Health Equity Council and invite others to learn more about the Councils and to get involved.

The dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial this month reminds our nation of its commitment to ensuring equality for all. For me it is an opportunity to highlight the important efforts of the many people and organizations working for equal access to quality health care.

Today is Child Health Day!

By Dr. Doyle Williams

Did you know that tooth decay is the most common childhood disease?

That cavities are almost 100 percent preventable when children have access to prevention, education and treatment services.

That 1/3^rd of children ages 6 to 8 have untreated caries (cavity) in a permanent tooth.

That every year, 16 million children go without dental care, placing them at great risk of getting cavities or worse.

Today, on Child Health Day I would like to remind you how important your child’s dental health is to his/her wellbeing.

Please take a moment to sit down with your child today to talk about the importance of good oral health in their lives and what they can do to help keep a healthy smile.

Sign of the Times: Tough Economy Shows in Dental Visits

Dr. Doyle Williams, Chief Dental Officer, DentaQuest

A public opinion survey* by Oral Health America confirmed a trend that I’ve been hearing about lately as I talk to dentists across the United States.

The survey revealed that one-third (35 percent) of people who regularly visit the dentist are going less frequently. One-half (47 percent) of larger households and households with children reduced their visits to the dentist in the past year. Families with younger children cut back more than households with slightly older children.

Regrettably, preventive dental care appears to be something that is falling through the cracks, when families are faced with managing competing needs in a challenging economy.

And that concerns me.

Dental care is the #1 unmet health care need for children and low-income adults. Cavities and gum disease are preventable. Regular dental visits are investments in long term good health. With regular visits, it is more likely that problems can be found early when dentists can help teeth “heal” without any drilling. Your oral health caregiver can show you how to protect yourself and your children from getting cavities and gum disease by helping you understand your risk factors and protective factors. You may also be told about preventive treatments, like sealants, a thin protective coating painted on the molars of the teeth of children and adolescents, to protect against cavities.

Cavities and gum disease are bacterial infections. Studies show links between gum disease and premature births, diabetes, respiratory disease, and cardiovascular disease. I was recently very saddened to read about the young father in Ohio who died from an infection that started in a wisdom tooth and spread to his brain.

Not going to the dentist means you don’t get early warning of problems or important preventive education and information to keep you from needing costly treatments later.

*Oral Health America public opinion survey sponsored by Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait and Plackers