Pucker Up Valentine – With Fresh Breath and a Healthy Mouth!

By Dr. John Luther, Chief Dental Officer at DentaQuest

Did you know a Valentine’s Day kiss with your loved one is good for your oral health? A nice smooch will stimulate saliva, a natural cleaner for teeth that washes bacteria and food particles to help fight cavities. 

As you get ready to pucker up, take these steps to be sure your breath is sweet:

1. Brush Up. Bad breath, or halitosis, can be embarrassing. The best way to prevent bad breath is to eliminate potential causes. Bacteria lingering in your mouth from food or infections can create odors and lead to decay. Brushing your teeth twice a day for two minutes with fluoridated toothpaste, and daily flossing, is a good start. Also clean your tongue –it can retain bacteria. A gentle and thorough cleaning with a tongue scraper or toothbrush can remove lingering food particles.

2. Stick to Crunchy Produce. Foods play a role in lingering bad breath. Most people know they should avoid foods with strong smelling ingredients, like garlic or onion. But did you also know that oils from some cheeses and soft drinks are absorbed into your lungs and the smell is given off in your breath for a while? Foods such as apples or oranges contain helpful enzymes that naturally remove bacteria. Crunchy foods like carrots or celery help stimulate the flow of saliva which also helps get rid of odor causing bacteria. Snacking on parsley or mint leaves can also help freshen your breath.

3. Chew Xylitol Gum. Gum increases saliva production and helps neutralize acid; however, many gums contain sugar, which of course negates the healthy benefits. Chewing gum with xylitol, a naturally occurring sweetener, fixes this problem. In fact, studies have shown that because cavity-causing bacteria are passed from mothers to newborns, mothers who chew xylitol gum are less likely to transmit the harmful bacteria to their children, and cavities among these children are reduced by up to 70 percent. 

4. Say “No” To Smoking. In case an increased risk of cancer and death is not enough reason to turn you off from smoking, here’s another: smoking causes bad breath, gum disease and tooth decay. That's why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends quitting and offers tips on how to quit at cdc.gov.

5. Check Your Medicine. Because the cause of halitosis can be a dry mouth, make sure to look through your medicine cabinet. A side-effect of some medications, such as antihistamines, tranquilizers, and various blood pressure medicines may be a decrease in the flow of saliva in children and adults. If dry mouth sounds familiar to you, talk to your dentist and physician. They may be able to suggest alternative medications or prescribe a medicine that helps your salivary glands work better.

So many solutions, yet we’ve only just started. Remember to maintain proper oral hygiene to make the most of out your smooch – and your overall oral health! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Three OH2014 Grantees Land HRSA Funds

Guest post by Carmen Fields, DentaQuest Foundation Associate Director National Programs

Three of the DentaQuest Foundation’s Oral Health 2014 Initiative state coalition participants – Oregon Oral Health Coalition, South Carolina Rural Health Research Center and West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services– leveraged their planning and outreach developed with the Foundation’s support and resources to land federal grants from the Department of Health and Human Services/ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). All three state coalitions received HRSA State Oral Health Workforce Grants for projects running from 2012-2015.

Launched in 2011, Oral Health 2014 is a national movement to reverse profound oral health disparities in the United States.

The Oregon Oral Health Coalition received a more than $800,000 grant to support oral health workforce activities. By partnering with the Oregon Health and Science University, the Oregon Office of Rural Health, the State of Oregon’s Medicaid division, the Oregon Dental Hygienists Association, and others, the coalition’s project will focus on dental sealants with specific aims to:

• expand preventive dental through  a school-based dental sealant program by using a broad network of practice dental hygienists;
• increase access to service in rural and frontier schools; and
• create a statewide certification process to ensure high quality and appropriate services are provided at schools.

When recently speaking to the Oregon Oral Health Coalition’s Program Manager Shanie Mason, who is also a member of the Oral Health 2014 Coalition, she expressed to me her enthusiasm about the grant.

“This is about creating a system,” said Mason. “We are enlisting a comprehensive approach that looks at delivering sealants from a variety of perspectives—not just a singular program.”

Meanwhile, South Carolina Rural Health Research Center received a similar grant of $1.5 million. The center’s activities under the HRSA grant will focus on many of its same Oral Health 2014 objectives—public health infrastructure, access to preventive care and safety net enhancements.

South Carolina’s Director of the Division of Oral Health Christine Veschusio spoke to me about how DentaQuest Foundation’s Oral Health 2014 grant has helped the coalition prepare to apply for additional funding under HRSA.

“The Oral Health 2014 planning grant positioned our state so that we could secure funding from multiple sources ensuring synergistic success on multiple fronts,” Veschusio said. “Since the HRSA State Oral Health Workforce grant was released during the Oral Health 2014 planning year, we were positioned to leverage both opportunities. HRSA supported the infrastructure for the demonstration project for which we received DentaQuest Foundation funding.”

West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services also received a HRSA Oral Health Workforce Grant of $1.5 million to be used to address dental graduate retention within West Virginia and help improve access to care.

When I spoke to West Virginia State Dental Director Dr. Jason Roush, he conveyed his excitement for the grant.

“Through funding from the DentaQuest Foundation and others, West Virginia now has the infrastructure in place to compete for federal funding,” said Dr. Roush.

We at the DentaQuest Foundation are honored to be a part of these three state coalitions’ progression. In total, eighteen state coalitions have moved into the second phase of the DentaQuest Foundation’s Oral Health 2014 Initiative, receiving support for the implementation of their 2011 plans.

The Oral Health 2014 initiative’s motto is “Advancing Local Leaders for National Impact.” The DentaQuest Foundation plans to award up to 10 additional planning grants to states in 2013.

To learn more about the DentaQuest Foundation’s Oral Health 2014, visit http://www.dentaquestfoundation.org/programs/oral-health-2014.

DentaQuest Welcomes Dr. John Luther!

Guest Post by Dr. John Luther, DentaQuest Senior Vice President of Dental Management and Chief Dental Officer

Hello Everyone!

My name is Dr. John Luther and I have recently been appointed Senior Vice President of Dental Management and Chief Dental Officer here at DentaQuest.

With its mission to improve the oral health of all and to use unique and innovative strategies to prevent and eradicate dental disease, DentaQuest and I share a common mission and I couldn’t ask for a better match.

Having previously practiced dentistry for 20 years in California, I thoroughly enjoyed my family dental practice, especially when engaging and interacting with patients. I come to DentaQuest from UnitedHealthcare, where I served as the Chief Dental Officer, primarily responsible for dental network utilization management, disease management and wellness programs. Prior to working for United, I served as Senior Vice President of the American Dental Association, with primary responsibility for dental practice, dental benefits, access, prevention, intra-professional relations, informatics and the health policy center.

My true passion lies in the development of new treatment and financial models for care delivery. In my new role, I hope to collaborate with all of the gifted staff at DentaQuest and bring together best practices around dental treatment, network management and new reimbursement models to drive our success. My other interests include health literacy, patient-centered integrated care and medical/dental collaboration.   

I am extremely excited to be here, to meet the rest of the staff and other thought leaders with whom DentaQuest works and plan to work toward a bright future for oral healthcare.

Best,

Dr. Luther

john.luther@dentaquest.com

Progress Toward Oral Health Access for All

Guest blog post by Dr. Michael Monopoli

Advocates and our government system are making great strides in breaking down systematic barriers to oral health care access. As noted in the Oral Health Matters July 2 post, “Working Together for Oral Health,” there are many organizations and advocates across the nation collaborating to create initiatives aimed at better access to oral health care. Real people are coming together with common goals and creating conditions where individuals and groups with different perspectives feel comfortable working together to create a positive change for oral health. 

In January, The DentaQuest Foundation is opening two new grant opportunities—an expansion of the Oral Health 2014 Initiative and the launch of an Innovation Fund for Oral Health. Each will be introduced during a webinar in January 2013. Nonprofit organizations interested in joining a national network of committed stakeholders working together to promote systemic change in oral health should plan to attend the webinars to gain a shared understanding of how we can partner together.  

Oral Health 2014 –Building Local Leaders for National Impact is a multi-year, strategic investment that is fostering state and local collaboration focused on improving oral health of underserved people. Launched in 2011, the Oral Health 2014 Initiative currently encompasses 18 state organization participants. The DentaQuest Foundation is expanding Oral Health 2014 with potential funding available for up to 10 new grantees to begin the planning phase of the initiative within their states. 

A webinar will be held on January 8 from 2 to 3pm ET to discuss this opportunity. You can register for the webinar at this link: https://ww4.premconf.com/webrsvp/register?conf_id=1447307.

The Innovation Fund for Oral Health –Supporting Inventive Strategies to Promote Systems Change in Oral Health represents a unique opportunity for inventive nonprofit organizations to create systems change that reduces and eliminates barriers to access to oral health care services and promotes community-based prevention strategies. The DentaQuest Foundation emphasizes a holistic approach to innovation, supporting work with existing organizations and programs in new ways and develop new strategies to produce results. 

Interested organizations should join us on January 9, 2013 from 2 to 3pm ET to learn more about this new DentaQuest Foundation investment opportunity. Registration for the Innovation Fund for Oral Health launch webinar can be found here: https://ww4.premconf.com/webrsvp/register?conf_id=6704120. 

It’s rewarding to see how the work of DentaQuest Foundation grantees and others across the nation that are transforming the ways people are approaching oral health care. These efforts show us that, although we have a way to go in creating a shared understanding of how to prevent oral disease among those who provide care, those who write health policies, those who finance care, and those who teach health education and prevention, a movement toward oral health access for all is well underway.  

Dr. Michael Monopoli is Director Policy and Programs for the DentaQuest Foundation.

Join the Movement for Oral Health

By Michael Monopoli, DentaQuest Foundation Director of Policy and Programs

Dental disease isn’t usually top of mind in the national conversation about health care. However, it is a serious, chronic, infectious illness—and it is preventable. Consider this:

• Dental disease (cavities) is the most common chronic disease in children, more common than asthma.

• Every year across the United States, children miss 52 million school hours due to dental disease. Adults lose close to 164 million work hours.

• In 2010, Americans spent $106 billion on oral care.

Part of the challenge in changing the dental delivery system and expanding access is that too often, people don’t have access to continuing care in a way that maintains oral health. The DentaQuest Foundation is focused on educating people about the centrality of oral health to overall health.

Through a series of grants, the foundation is doing all it can to fix this problem and promote good oral health. Most recently, the foundation announced that five additional state/regional primary care associations (PCAs) have been selected to participate in the Strengthening the Oral Health Safety Net Initiative, a national program instituted in fall 2011 to promote oral health access at community health centers (CHCs) across the country. In total, the initiative engages 10 state/regional PCA partners to develop their capacity to provide oral health leadership and technical assistance to safety net programs in their states.

CHCs are America’s health safety net, serving 23 million patients in more than 8,000 communities. They provide preventive and primary health care services to people that face financial, geographic, language, cultural, and other barriers to receiving care. The grants will promote oral health leadership, develop oral health expertise, encourage collaboration among dental and medical programs, and advance safety net oral health needs at the state level. Each award consists of grant funds plus direct practice improvement technical assistance for safety net dental programs provided in-kind by the Safety Net Solutions team of the DentaQuest Institute, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the DentaQuest Foundation.

But, it’s the ripple effects of these initiatives that are critical. When communities work together, powerful change can happen, which is why we are excited to welcome these five new PCAs to the Strengthening the Oral Health Safety Net Initiative. Together, we can change how people respond to a preventable disease.

Why is National Diabetes Month Important to Oral Health Professionals?

Guest blog post by Dr. Linda Vidone, DentaQuest Dental Director and Periodontist

This month marks National Diabetes Month, an important month designated by the American Diabetes Association to focus the nation's attention on the issues surrounding diabetes and the many people who are impacted by the disease. During November, most efforts by health professionals surrounding Diabetes Awareness Month concentrate on nutrition, self-care, weight loss and other common methods to avoid or improve people’s management of diabetes.

While these health considerations are important, often overlooked is the strong link between oral health and diabetes. Despite research showing people with diabetes are two to three times more likely to have more destructive forms of periodontal disease than people without diabetes, caring for the mouth when treating diabetes is often disregarded by physicians, who tend to focus on other more noticeable diabetes complications.

This is particularly alarming because new data from the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), published in the August 2012 Journal of Dental Research, revealed more adults have periodontal disease than dentists originally thought.  While most surveyed dentists believed 30% of adults suffered from periodontal disease, the new data shows one out of every two American adults aged 30 and older today suffer from periodontal disease.

Here are some other surprising facts and figures from the report:

• Over 64 million Americans have some form of periodontal disease.
• In adults 65 and older, the rate of periodontal disease increases to 70 percent. 
• Rates of periodontal disease are especially high among current smokers, those living below the federal poverty level, and those with less than a high school education.

The CDC National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey will continue to watch for periodontal disease in U.S adults through the 2014. This information will guide public health policy decisions including prevention and treatment recommendations. 

As noted in the study, early detection of periodontal disease is important and your oral health care provider can help you manage diabetes impact on oral health.  If untreated, however, periodontal disease infections can lead to serious health problems.

Should you be worried?

• Are your gums puffy?
• Do you spit out blood when you brush or floss your teeth?
• Do you have bad breath? 

These are all signs of periodontal disease. Talk to your oral health care provider if you experience any of them, particularly if you have diabetes.

Most importantly, celebrate American Diabetes Month with us and spread the word to someone you know about the connection between diabetes and oral health. For more information about diabetes, visit American Diabetes Association website at http://www.diabetes.org. 

Sneaky, Spooky Snacking- Don’t Get Tricked

By Dr. Linda Vidone, Dental Director, DentaQuest

Halloween is around the corner. Between picking out costumes, jack-o-lantern carving, and stocking up on treats, it’s hard not to get excited.

In the midst of the fun and fantasy, however, it’s important to remember that Halloween is a particularly spooky time for teeth.

Candy, particularly in large amounts, contributes to tooth decay. Tooth decay occurs when the sugars in candy and other sweets mix with bacteria in the sticky plaque that constantly forms on teeth to produce acid, which can wear away enamel. Chewy, sticky treats are particularly damaging because not only are they high in sugar, but they stick to teeth and are more difficult for saliva to get rid of them. Often, it takes a gentle scrubbing with a toothbrush to remove the sticky stuff. Hard candies are tough on teeth too because kids tend to suck on them at a leisurely pace for an extended period of time. Think of it as a sugar bath for teeth.

Does this mean children shouldn't eat candy on Halloween? Of course not.

Dentists understand holiday treats are a fact of life, and don’t expect kids to completely avoid candy on Halloween. Here are some simple ways to keep you and your children safe from cavities. 

• A good, healthy meal prior to trick-or-treating may mean kids are less likely to gorge on candy.

• Enjoy the candy in moderation. Chocolate dissolves quickly in the mouth and can be eaten easily, decreasing the amount of time sugar stays in contact with teeth. Consider limiting the remainder of the stash, to a piece or two a day-- especially the sticky, gummy, candy corn and chewy choices (and that includes raisins and other sticky fruits). 

• Be sure to brush your teeth before going to bed. It is important to remove the sugars that can do damage overnight.

I see Halloween as a good opportunity to teach children about making sensible choices and taking care of their teeth. If they eat the candy, encourage them to brush (for two minutes) especially after sugary/starchy/sticky snacks --and don’t forget to floss every day too.

Happy Halloween!