Closing 2017 - Ringing in 2018!

This December, we post some closing thoughts from people across the organization - together, we share pride and gratitude for the strides we as a company have made to benefit communities nationwide. Let 2018 bring greater progress toward a future where everyone has access to oral health, without exception.

I’ve never been more excited about the future of our enterprise. With strategic change and the work of the entire team we are able to drive both social and economic value to help us meet our mission-  to improve the oral health of all. -- Steve Pollock, President & CEO

It is a great time to be part of DentaQuest – our future does look bright! -- John C.

Educating and serving the communities we live… feels great to be part of the Team! -- Fatima

I am very thankful to have a wonderful Boss and Leadership team overall. I am thankful for my family and friends. I am thankful for my continued good health.May you all be safe during this Holiday Season. -- Diana S.

Great job to everyone in this organization that works so hard to ensure we offer the best customer experience possible. A special shout out to the customer service team that is on the front lines with our members and providers every day. - Angela K.

Looking very forward to 2018 and continuing to grow and evolve our organization!! -- Bill P.

Looking forward to an exciting New Year in 2018 with DentaQuest and our new (and existing) Leaders!! Happy Holidays Everyone!!! -- Susan H.


Look for a new blog location in 2018! Oral Health Matters, which remains a key part of our ongoing oral health conversation, is moving ... stay tuned and stay safe. From all of us at DentaQuest

Reaffirming our commitment to oral health in rural America

As rural stakeholders from around the country take time today to celebrate Nov. 16th as National Rural Health Day, DentaQuest reaffirms its commitment to improving the oral health of residents living in rural communities. DentaQuest Institute and DentaQuest Foundation have been involved in multiple activities and initiatives in recent years that help to improve oral health access and quality of oral health care for our nation’s rural residents. 

A few of the highlights include:

• The Institute’s Medical Oral Expanded Care (MORE Care) Initiative, which focuses on the integration of oral health care into the rural primary care practice as well as the development of coordinated care networks with community dental providers, has assisted more than 20 rural primary care practices and dental providers in South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Colorado. Based on learnings from the MORE Care initiatives in the three states, several publications were created to spread resources and knowledge to other rural communities interested in creating rural interprofessional oral health networks.
• White Paper -  “MORE Care: Narrowing the Rural Interprofessional Oral Health Gap” https://www.dentaquestinstitute.org/rural-ipp

• Rural Practice Guide – Released today – that provides practice-level guidance and practical how-to tips for rural health clinics interested in creating interprofessional oral health networks in their community: http://bit.ly/2AQ0LmR 
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• The Foundation’s support of the National Rural Health Association has enabled community health workers and other providers in Texas to be trained to integrate oral health into their outreach to residents living in colonias, Hispanic-populated communities along the U.S.-Mexico border.

• DentaQuest Foundation grantee National Conference of State Legislatures is educating policymakers on issues that challenge rural communities in their access to oral health care, developing and publishing resources that can be found on their website, here.

• Lastly, we’ve been proud to see some of our rural oral health leaders featured in The Journal of Rural Health and also NRHA’s Compendium of Rural Oral Health Best Practices.

For more information on these and other great projects being led by our Institute and Foundation teams, please visit the websites at www.dentaquestinstitute.org and www.dentaquestfoundation.org. You can also sign up for Socious, our Foundation’s online collaborative platform, to access resources and tools generated by our grantees and partners. Register here: www.oralhealth.network

Q&A: Dental Hygienist Opens Up for National Dental Hygiene Month

As October comes to an end, so does the national observance recognizing the need and importance of dental hygiene. For this Q&A, one of our own registered dental hygienists (RDHs) opens up about how she came to this career path and why it is invaluable to the oral health care system.

Let's dig in with Laura Skaret, RDH, BSDH | Project Manager, Safety Net Solutions | DentaQuest Institute

Q: Why did you decide to become an RDH?

A: My mom is a dental hygienist, and I got my first job at her office as a dental receptionist and then later was trained on the job to work as a dental assistant. I loved my experience as an assistant and found the work we did fascinating – including the devastating results of dental disease. I saw the cycle of dental disease first hand:  teeth would need small restorations, then larger restorations, then root canals, then crowns, and even sometimes implants. I knew I wanted to focus my career on helping patients prevent and properly manage dental disease rather than repairing the damage after it occurs.

We had a pamphlet in the office that said that enamel was far more valuable than gold (referring to a gold crown).  I found that to be such a thought-provoking and accurate concept.  It’s also similar to the old familiar adage, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  That couldn’t be more true in the dental field.

Q: Why are hygienists important in the care team? 

A: Dental hygienists are patient advocates. When explaining the dental disease process to patients, I always tell them that my job is essentially to keep them out of the dentist’s chair, but I can only do so much without their buy-in.  Due to the nature of plaque biofilm, the daily care that patients do for their own mouths is far more important than the work that we do in one hour with them at the dental office. Patients go to the dental office maybe two to four times per year, however 365 days a year they are responsible for managing their own oral health.  This means our most important role is to educate and motivate our patients to improve their daily oral health habits. 

Q: What has been your greatest accomplishment or most proud moment in relation to working as an RDH?

A: I’ve realized that it’s not only what you do, but the way that you do it that can make an impact.  I always try to be very kind and compassionate to the questions and concerns of my patients. I’ve had several patients who were terrified of coming to the dental office when I first met them. Years of neglecting their mouths and avoiding the dentist would bring them to our office in a lot of pain and in need of quite a bit of dental work. In addition to using a gentle technique and local and topical anesthetics, I try to help them feel more comfortable by talking them through everything I’m doing or telling them stories to get their mind off of the situation. Sometimes it’s helpful to listen to their story to find out why they have a fear, affirm their past concern, and then assure them that won’t happen today. 

When those patients then continue to come in regularly, you know you’ve not only made a difference for their oral cavity, but for their life as well.  I had one patient who needed lengthy measures to address advanced decay and periodontal (gum) disease.  After we completed her first three visits of needed periodontal therapy, she actually sent a card to my office to thank me for helping her overcome her fear of the dentist.  With a more manageable level of fear, she was able to get the care she needed to restore her smile, which gave her back her confidence.

Q: How does your professional background impact/influence/help you in your DentaQuest Institute (DQI) role?

A: My primary role at DQI is as a project manager for Safety Net Solutions (SNS), a DentaQuest Institute program. Safety Net Solutions helps safety net dental clinics adopt targeted business management best practices.  Our focus is to ensure that these dental offices can maintain financial viability to stay open and provide access to care for the underserved. We also help ensure that they understand their capacity and can maximize access to care by optimizing their productivity.  

My previous experience of working in all areas of the dental office (receptionist, chairside with the dentist, and then also as a hygienist) means I have very comprehensive knowledge of how dental offices work, from scheduling appointments, to managing supplies and inventory, to managing the patient’s care experience, to dealing with dental equipment and instrument shortages. Basically, I can understand and relate to almost any concerns our SNS clients have.

Q: Why do you continue private practice once a week? 

A: Although you can technically keep your annual dental hygiene license “active” by simply paying the license fee each year, I want to keep it active with actual patient care, as well. Also I continue to practice because I love the work!  I love working with patients and helping them improve their oral health. I also believe this helps me stay relevant and engaged with my SNS clients and their common concerns. 

Q: What is one message you hope to impart to anyone interested in becoming an RDH?

A: Hygienists are super important members of the care team! As policy changes and we move forward with accountable care organizations and pay for performance insurance reimbursement models, I think the role dental hygienists play in preventing and managing disease will be brought even more into the forefront. When finances are attached to healthy patient outcomes, dental care teams will attach an even higher value to dental hygienists. 

Also, there is a massive shortage of dental professionals – and dentists in particular – nationwide. Maximizing the use of preventive modalities such as sealants, fluoride varnish, and silver diamine fluoride will help address access gaps where dentists are hard to come by, like rural areas.  Of course, we will never stop needing the education and skills of a dentist, but if we can reduce the demand for the skills of a dentist by reducing the dental disease burden, we can help minimize the gap in access to oral health care.  

Interested in learning more about prevention-focused dental care? Check out the DentaQuest Institute's Online Learning Center and let us know what you think! 

Lunch Box oral health education program expands to kids with vision impairment

You may know that our mission is to improve the oral health of all, and starting with young children and health literacy is a great step forward.

Before this school year started, we supported efforts by The Children's Oral Health Institute to grow their national Lessons In A Lunch Box: Healthy Teeth Essentials & Facts About Snacks® program. This expansion enables the program to reach children who have impaired or loss of vision. Everyone needs to care for their mouths in order to have healthy futures, and Lunch Box is ensuring all kids have this chance.

In February, special lunchboxes - now with braille - will be delivered to participating schools along with a volunteer presentation to run the program.

So what is this educational program about healthy teeth and why does it matter? 

The Children's Oral Health Institute, a nonprofit based in Maryland, outlines it clearly:

• Lessons In A Lunch Box: Healthy Teeth Essentials & Facts About Snacks is an educational oral health literacy program developed around a lunch box designed exclusively to teach elementary school children. The lunch box includes a color coordinated carrot case with a rinse cup top designed to store a toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss.
• The program is created to help children to begin learning early, throughout grade school, about taking care of their teeth, making good diet choices and careers in dentistry.
• The Children’s Oral Health Institute believes the program and the exclusive lesson guides, including the Code Red: The Oral Health Crisis In Your Classroom booklet, will encourage teachers to incorporate oral health education as a part of classroom instruction.
• The program model is presented is to elementary schools with support from organized dentistry, local dental school faculty, their students and community volunteers. It is important that dentist examine and provide treatment for underserved children.
• Exposing dental students to programs like Lessons In A Lunch Box may help to improve the access to the oral health care challenges we face throughout the country.
• Further, the profession of dental medicine is facing a workforce shortage. According to the 2000 Surgeon General’s Report, by 2020 there will be one dentist for every 100,000 Americans. The program places emphasis on encouraging children to begin considering the dental profession as a career option. 
• The ideal times during the school year to introduce the Lessons In A Lunch Box program are:
• October, National Dental Hygiene Month. This is a good time of the school year to present the program because it allows the teacher approximately 8 school months to refer to the visual and practical lessons offered by lunch box.
• February, National Children’s Dental Health Month (NCDHM). This is another great time because much of the dental community looks forward to participating in initiatives that highlight and support the annual observance of NCDHM when dental and medical professionals focus on efforts to improve the oral health of children.
• Give Kids A Smile® (GKAS) Day. Usually celebrated throughout the country in late January or early February, GKAS is the annual centerpiece NCDHM.
• The cafeteria has proven to be the best location in the school to present the program. Students can comfortably have their lunch box open in front of them while listening to the presenter explain all of the fun and exciting educational features of the delightful container. They learn about the following:
• flossing, brushing and fluoride
• healthy dietary choices and good eating habits
• careers in dentistry

Did you learn anything new here? By partnering and supporting this expansion, we learned a lot about the vision impaired community and successful ways to help all children develop important oral health habits.

Do you know if you have sleep apnea? An eye exam may tell you

Sleep apnea is a lot more common than you might think, and it is affecting your eyes and vision in drastic ways. August happens to be National Eye Exam Month and this is as good of a reason as any to go get checked out.

There are three types of sleep apnea, but most people suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), which makes up 84 percent of sleep apnea cases.

To find out why that matters, let’s layout a quick biology overview:

Our bodies need oxygen – we inhale it, our lungs hold it, our blood picks it up from the lungs and takes it to all of our cells and tissues. Every organ needs it. The brain, for instance, uses 25 percent of your oxygen intake. Without enough, your brain function declines.

OSA occurs when the soft tissue of the throat collapses and blocks the airway. It happens continually throughout the sleep cycle.

The blocked airway means you aren’t inhaling enough oxygen for your blood to carry throughout your body (decreased blood oxygen). The pause in breathing—called an apnea—can last anywhere from seconds to minutes. The brain then signals the body to wake up and breathe.

OSA is most common in overweight or obese men. It occurs in approximately 24 percent of men and 9 percent of women. African Americans also have a 2.5 times higher risk.

• Other factors that may predispose us to this condition include:
• Age – over 40
• Smoking
• Neck circumference over 19 inches (Trivia: OSA occurs in 34 percent of NFL linemen!)
• Some of the most common signs and symptoms include:
• Snoring – although not everyone who snores has sleep apnea
• Daytime sleepiness – do you nod off at work; maybe it isn’t that you are just bored?
• Cognition problems – losing your train of thought sporadically
• Restless sleep – do you toss and turn a lot?
• Loved ones mention you seem to stop breathing in your sleep

Despite its relatively high rate of occurrence, OSA goes undiagnosed in 80 percent of the men and 90 percent of the women who suffer from the condition. High rates of undiagnosed patients may be due to the fact that the best test—a sleep study—is both inconvenient and can be expensive for patients.

Sleep Apnea and the eye

An association of OSA and eye and vision problems is very common and often missed during any type of eye exam or physician visit. At your next eye exam, consider if you have any of these symptoms and share them with your provider. You may help them catch something they otherwise might miss!

There are three common eye-related OSA side effects to watch for:

• Floppy eyelid syndrome – this is the most common and the easiest to miss during your eye exam. The person often wakes with scratchy or irritated eye(s) and some mucus discharge (some people refer to it as crusty eyes) that comes and goes over a long period of time. Close to 100 percent of people with floppy eyelid syndrome have some form of OSA.
• Keratoconus – the person experiences irregular astigmatism and chronic blurred vision that glasses only partially correct.
• Glaucoma – everyone should be tested for glaucoma. Its association to OSA is often missed. If a provider suspects someone has glaucoma, and also has any risk factors for OSA, they should consider further screening.

OSA is not harmless – get checked.

OSA is not a benign condition; as such, be aware of this condition especially if you have any of the common risk factors. This condition is a lot more common than you think and will take its toll if not treated. Since OSA so often goes unrecognized and misdiagnosed, mention any of the common signs and symptoms to your eye doctor and your family doctor. 

Special thanks to EyeQuest Vision Director Dr. John Davis for contributing this post!

‘Action for Dental Health’ in Congress

While we all paid close attention to health care in the Senate last week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee made a critical, yet mostly overlooked step to advance oral health for at-risk populations.

On July 27^th, the Committee unanimously passed HR 2422, or the Action for Dental Health Act of 2017. This bill calls for Congress to authorize additional oral health promotion and disease prevention programs to help at-risk populations struggling to obtain appropriate oral health care.

The bill points out that more than 181 million Americans will not see a dentist, but almost half of people ages 30 and older have some form of gum disease and nearly a quarter of children under age 5 already have cavities. 

As we at DentaQuest well know, caries is the most prevalent chronicdisease among children and can be prevented. What’s more, we see time and again that Americans of all ages are in desperate need of access to oral health care - Missions of Mercy like the one in Wise County, Va., is a great example. Both the Washington Post and The New York Times covered the July event, for which thousands of people come from miles away and lineup for hours and even days just to get access to dental and other services.

If this new legislation passes through Congress, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will award grants and collaborate with states, counties, public officials, or other stakeholders to implement a variety of initiatives.

These activities could include oral health programs that:

·         more broadly use portable/mobile dental equipment;

·         facilitate the establishment of dental homes;

·         eliminate geographic, language, cultural, or other barriers to care;

·         reduce the use of emergency departments for dental conditions; and

·         provide dental care to nursing home residents.

It is exciting to see bipartisan support for dental care initiatives that have tremendous impacts on the oral and overall health of patients. This type of work will drastically improve the health of Americans. And it has the ability to address the estimated $2.6 billion in free care that dentists currently deliver, as well as the nearly $2.1 billion spent on dental cases in hospital emergency departments – 80 percent of which could be treated in a dental office for roughly $4 million total, according to the bill.

Bipartisanship like this must continue and we urge legislators to make oral health a critical component of any health reform legislation that passes through this Congress. 

DentaQuest Foundation grassroots grantees ready to leap for oral health

I recently heard the perfect analogy for our oral health advocacy during the DentaQuest Foundation’s Grassroots Engagement Strategy annual meeting. It’s a saying gardeners have about the growth process of perennials: “The first year they sleep, the second year they creep, then the third year they leap!”  This year is the year for the grassroots organizations and their partners to leap!

DentaQuest Foundation’s Grassroots Engagement Strategy started in March 2015 as an initiative to engage those most directly impacted by oral health inequities. Focused in six key states - Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Virginia - the Grassroots Engagement Strategy leverages an existing network of key oral health advocates and stakeholders operating at the state level. The DentaQuest Foundation has funded 20 community-based organizations within these states to provide oral health outreach and take action on social justice and oral health equity, all with the goal of improving public perception of the value of oral health in their communities.

These 20 grantees represent deep and diverse experience working directly with community members and contribute essential perspectives of community advocacy and action. They are providing community-grounded voices within a broad group of stakeholders at the state, regional, and national levels, a perspective that is critical if we are to reach our mission of improving oral health for all.

The Grassroots Engagement Strategy has now entered its third year of development, and the purpose of the annual meeting this spring was for grantees to learn from one another about what has been accomplished in the last year, what is planned for the year ahead, and how to deepen the commitment to health equity.

On day one, each organization presented its community-driven plan that covered stakeholders, how they have incorporated the Oral Health 2020 goals into their communities, 2017 organizational priorities, their proudest moments, and their greatest challenges.

For example, one organization discussed advancing a legislative advocacy strategy around protecting oral health equity policies, while dealing with the major challenge that oral health is not a top priority for the community members facing other economic and social challenges.

On day two, many of the Oral Health 2020 national advocacy partners presented the resources and tools in development that will support the grassroots organizations in their work. Attendees also discussed how they can learn from one another and build their capacity to make change at the community level.

Additionally, there were presentations on different approaches to advocacy and lobbying, including how to provide empowerment opportunities for community members in advocacy and public policy.  Partners also discussed how they work collaboratively with other organizations to activate coalitions and networks that share common goals.

The underlying themes throughout the discussion:

• health equity 
• the link between oral health and other social determinants of health 
• the implications that these have 
• who  needs to be at the table  

Similar to previous years, the grassroots organizations returned home with a sense of rejuvenated momentum for oral health.   Words like “motivated,” “energized,” and “connected” were used by attendees format the close of the meeting.  With the political landscape changing, the role of grassroots organizations engaging in advocacy is even more critical at the local, state and national levels.

When community members are educated on the topic of oral health and have the passion and understanding of its impact, their voices are powerful.  

The Oral Health 2020 Network is excited to see the progress that will continue in these communities and beyond. The grassroots grantees are ready to “leap” into action for year three of the Grassroots Engagement Strategy!

---
Guest post from DentaQuest Foundation's grants team member Liana DiRamio. Learn more about the grants and programs here: http://dentaquestfoundation.org/about/our-mission. 

National Minority Health Month: A Thank You to Community Health Promoters

During National Minority Health Month, we’re calling attention to barriers many people must overcome to enjoy their best health, and the advocates who help them. 

One of our jobs as a leading health care organization is to help people understand what they need to do to stay healthy – and that starts with literacy.

Literacy skills are one of the strongest predictors of oral health status – stronger than age, income, employment status, education level, or racial/ethnic group.  It is estimated that at least a third of adults in the United States have limited health literacy and nearly half of all American adults - 90 million people - have difficulty understanding and using health information. Because of that, folks delay taking action, and before long, small problems become big health issues.  

Community health workers are stepping in to help people understand and navigate our health care system. It’s a very personal approach to health education. DentaQuest’s outreach team spends a lot of time in the community talking to people about oral health and explaining dental benefits and how to use them. National Minority Health Month gives us an opportunity to talk about the importance of community health workers — promotores*, or  outreach specialists. These committed team members are doing incredible work to bridge health equity across communities.

Community outreach specialists are hyper grassroots, frontline public health translators. Using the strength of their personality; personal contacts; trust; and an intimate understanding of the community’s strengths, needs and social networks, they tackle sensitive health topics, correct misinformation, and connect people with quality care.  In some parts of the United States, our certified promotores are at work in rural and urban areas at clinics, churches, workplaces, schools, and even around agricultural fields.

These outreach specialists are very important to achieving our goal of ending dental disease in children. An estimated 17 million low income children in the United States go without oral health care each year—that’s about one out of every five children. 

Outreach workers help figure out why that happens. It might be because the families don’t know they should seek dental care for the children. It could be because the caregivers don’t know where to find a dentist. And it could be that the parents simply fear going to the dentist and share that fear with their kids. Outreach workers calm fears, educate and guide caregivers, and help them navigate the complexities of our health care system. They introduce families to preventive services, and even check back to be sure treatments that are initiated get completed.

And it’s not just for children. Regular screenings and preventive education for people of all ages reduce poor health outcomes and health expenditures. Outreach specialists help adults understand systemic health – what smoking does to the body or how managing mouth disease helps control diabetes and heart disease, for instance. It’s the trusting relationship with the community that enables outreach specialists to cross the cultural divide and get people involved in disease prevention and wellness. This is a critical role, especially where language, transportation and cultural responses are barriers to health.

National Minority Health Month - with this year's theme of health equity - is an opportunity to acknowledge the dedicated work of our promotores / outreach specialists and to give thanks for their genuine servicio de corazon (service from the heart).

Thank you for all you do to advance health equity nationwide!

*Promotores de salud, also known as promotoras, is Spanish for “community health worker.” 

Prioritizing Our Seniors: Why Offering Medicare Dental Coverage Matters

More than 46 million seniors lack dental coverage, according to a 2015 report on enrollment from the National Association of Dental Plans (NADP) and Delta Dental Plans Association (DDPA). And that number is only expected to rise with our burgeoning population of older adults.

In order to help more seniors get covered, U.S. federal policy must more effectively address the oral health needs of this population.

Recently, there have been several big news stories about the barriers 70 percent of seniors face to receive quality oral health care.

One major contributor is that dental care is not covered under Medicare. Boston College researchers found that the percentage of people with dental coverage declines by more than half in the 10 years after reaching retirement age -- from 62 percent at age 65 to 26 percent at 75. Why? According to CBS News, the study suggests the following...

The reason: When most workers retire, they lose the dental coverage provided by their employer or union. But doesn’t Medicare, which starts at age 65, step in and pick up the slack? Not on your canines, “a fact that a majority of baby boomers are unaware of…”

According to a recent survey of 2,000 registered U.S. voters conducted by DentaQuest via Morning Consult, this is not a partisan issue. In fact, 83 percent of Republicans and 86 percent of Democrats responded that dental coverage should be included in Medicare.

Without coverage, seniors face significant out-of-pocket costs to obtain appropriate oral health care, as they are more likely to need the most costly procedures, such as crowns, implants, or false teeth as they age. Seniors are also more likely to have chronic conditions that may complicate or exacerbate these oral health issues.

Because traditional Medicare does not provide dental coverage, Medicare Advantage plans are taking a lead in providing oral health coverage for seniors. In fact, DentaQuest partners with many of these plans because they recognize the importance of oral health to the overall health of older adults. However, these benefits are optional or supplemental and not all seniors can afford to pay out of pocket for this coverage.   

More affordable solutions are necessary to bridge this gap for our seniors.

With all of the discussion surrounding changes to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid, policies to expand dental coverage have largely gone overlooked. However, DentaQuest has taken steps to begin addressing this gap.

A few weeks ago, the DentaQuest Foundation announced a $668,000 grant to Oral Health America to expand the Wisdom Tooth Project and increase advocacy for publicly funded dental coverage for seniors. This project focuses on five strategies including education for seniors and professionals and pilot demonstration projects to combat barriers to care. The DentaQuest Foundation has been pivotal in supporting Oral Health America’s efforts for older adult oral health since 2010.

As health care prepares to undergo substantial changes, industry stakeholders may support different proposals but our goal should remain the same. We echo AHIP’s comments that the industry must bond together “to ensure every American has access to affordable coverage and quality care so they can achieve their best health.”

Expanding access to health care, including oral health care, is a foundational pillar to achieve this goal.

We cannot leave our seniors behind.

Building Health Literacy with Read Across America

If you’ve ever read a book with a child, you know the feeling of joy that comes from the experience, as well as how fundamental literacy is for people of any age.


So it is a source of pride that DentaQuest staff from coast to coast are joining teachers, celebrities, community members and parents in getting kids excited about reading through the National Education Association's (NEA's) Read Across America Campaign, a celebration of reading timed with the birthday of Dr. Seuss.


As health industry professionals, we have a responsibility to educate consumers so they can be active advocates for their own health. In its health literacy fact sheet, the CDC says 9 out of 10 adults struggle to understand and use health information, especially when it is unfamiliar, complex or jargon-filled. In fact, low literacy contributes to poor health outcomes, higher rates of hospital utilization, and less frequent use of preventive services, in addition to overall higher health care costs.


According to the National Center for Education Statistics, since 1993 just 53 to 58 percent of children ages 3 to 5 years read or were read to on a daily basis.


Simply reading daily with a child is important.

• Children who are read to at home have a higher success rate in school. 
• Children who read frequently develop stronger reading skills. 

As part of this year’s NEA campaign, our staff is visiting schools in:

• Columbia, S.C.; 
• Locust Hill and Richmond, Va.; 
• Lincoln, Neb.; 
• Milwaukee and Mequon, Wisc.; 
• Austin and Red Rock, Texas; 
• Doral, Fla.; 
• Snoqualmie, Wa.; 
• Anniston, Ala.; and 
• the Greater Boston area. 

We are reading one of three fun books --Throw Your Tooth on the Roof by Selby B. Beeler, The Tooth Book by Edward Miller, and Open Wide by Laurie Keller. The school’s library will also get the book to keep for future reading.

In Locust Hill #VA, Jackie wowed #HeadStart kids Middlesex Elementary with tales from The Tooth Book. #healthysmiles #READACROSSAMERICA pic.twitter.com/NU6kXJMrm4

— DentaQuest (@DentaQuest) March 1, 2017

Staff who have already visited classrooms said they felt like rock stars and oral health ambassadors. The children loved the facts we shared about their teeth, including how they should take care of their own teeth and gums.


Dental disease is the most common chronic childhood disease – and it is preventable. Introducing children to fun facts about their mouths, teeth and gums through the books we brought for Read Across America is a strong step in building the health literacy skills and disease prevention awareness that will empower this next generation of consumers to be health-knowledgeable adults.


Efforts like these will go a long way to helping us achieve our vision of being a nation where children can grow up free of dental disease.

Why are dentistry and oral health care practices seemingly easy to question?

The topic of evidence in dentistry and oral health care has been in the news a lot recently, with articles like this column in the New York Times by a professor of pediatrics.

In his column, Aaron Carroll discusses the differences he sees between his own and his wife’s dental journeys, as well as what little rigorous research has been done to support certain generally recommended dental practices.

What is interesting is that articles like this one and the popular flossing article from the Associated Press, among others, imply that recommendations made by dentists are based solely on limited or weak evidence – or worse, based simply on what the dentist will get paid for by an insurance company.

They also leave readers feeling that plaque removal and cavity prevention/treatment are the only elements necessary to address for good oral health.

Ultimately, Carroll suggests in his column that while lack of evidence doesn’t mean oral health prevention efforts don’t work, we should invest in research to ensure that those things we do are evidence-based.

For those of us in the business of improving oral health, we couldn’t agree more with that conclusion. But let’s take a closer look at some of the points that may have gone overlooked by recent press coverage.

We know that evidence something works for populations doesn’t directly translate into solutions for a specific individual – that is in fact why Carroll and his wife have such dramatically different dental journeys.

Carroll notes he has had just one filling in his life and doesn’t religiously care for his mouth, while his wife has “more fillings than [he] can count” but is fastidious in her oral care routines.

This underscores two important points:

1. Every person is different. Individualizing care is critical to improved oral health.

While evidence-based research informs standards of care, it is the dental team that must develop the best care plan for any given person’s situation. That is why DentaQuest invests in the development and adoption of evidence-based care protocols that focus on prevention, early intervention and disease management.

Our investments in disease management and risk assessment help provide dental teams with the knowledge and tools they need to best serve their patients.

For instance, across a five-year period, the DentaQuest Oral HealthCenter demonstrated that risk assessment and intense preventive efforts (including sealants and fluoride varnish) directly resulted in a reduction in the need for invasive surgical procedures.

Sealants are one of the most cost-effective strategies for protecting teeth, as noted in another recent New York Times column. This is because they provide a physical barrier against cavities. They can even be applied to teeth that are just starting to show signs of new cavities, and stop them from getting bigger.

The best time to seal a tooth is immediately after it erupts in the mouth, and so the DentaQuest Oral Health Center strives to set aside extra time at visits for children ages 6 and 11 since the permanent molars are usually erupting at that time. It is also why the DentaQuest Foundation collaborates so closely with school-based health alliances working to improve access to oral health care – and sealants – among children in grade school.

Additionally, with a patient population of over 10,000, the DentaQuest Oral Health Center works in collaboration with the DentaQuest Institute to refine strategies that make patients healthier. And when these best practices are implemented, they actively improve peoples’ health.

2. Prevention and oral health improvement do not take place solely in the dental chair.

Preventive dental visits provide an important opportunity for people to check in on their oral health habits and get evaluations for early signs of not just dental disease, but also chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension.

Most of us spend two hours a year in a dental office. And, if we are to reconsider the benefit of two annual preventive visits as Carroll suggests, some of us might end up spending even less time with a clinician. So what about the other 8,758 hours?

The differences in the oral health of Carroll and his wife are not because he brushes with an electric toothbrush every day or because she is doing something “wrong” in her routine. Oral health care is more than just brushing and flossing. In fact, it is about more than your teeth and gums.

To make an impact, we have to take a look at how we pay for oral health care, how our public policies enable it, and how our communities prioritize it, in addition to how we provide it.

Addressing just one of those will not improve oral health care on the larger scale or reduce health care costs, as Carroll aims to do with his recommendations. We know oral health care is indeed critical for overall health. This is why we at DentaQuest look far beyond the dental chair.

For example, as part of Oral Health 2020, the DentaQuest Foundation is investing in efforts to incorporate oral health into the primary education system. Oral health education, screenings, assisted referral, and delivery of preventive care through our schools provide equitable, reliable entry into long-term oral health care.

DentaQuest also champions efforts to include innovative financing models for dental in person-centered approaches to care enabled by the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Over the last decade, we’ve seen significant movement to transform our health care system into one that improves quality, lowers costs, and makes people healthier. In fact, on the medical side the Triple Aim is starting to be supported by alternative payment and care delivery models that are person-centered and focus on prevention.

Why did that happen? Because experts and advocates knew there had to be a better way forward for a healthier America.

The same is true for oral health. We are beginning to see that it is possible to live in a world where optimal oral health is the expectation, not the exception. We must continue to invest the same transformative energy into improving the oral health of all because you cannot have optimal overall health without optimal oral health.

 

Oral Health Disparities between Men and Women

Did you know men are more likely to get oral cancer than women? Men are also more likely to skip dentist and doctor visits. For Men’s Health Month happening now, let’s raise awareness about these and other disparities.

Overall, more than 10 adults out of every 100,000 will develop oral cancer.

Oral cancer incidence among men is more than twice as high as among women in the United States. The same holds true when broken out by race for those who identified as white, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Asian or Pacific Islander.

However, prevalence among black men is more than three times as high as among black women. The disparity is similar among Hispanic men and women, too.

What’s more, oral cancer rates increase with age among both women and men. The increase becomes more rapid after age 50 and peaks between ages 60 and 70.

But diagnosing oral cancer at an early stage significantly increases five-year survival rates. Today, we are more aware of the importance of oral health and how to prevent disease thanks in large part to better education, greater access and advances in technology.

These factors have helped oral cancer survival rates steadily improve since 1975, though the disparity among white and black men has remained largely unchanged.

So what more can be done to reduce oral health disparities?

To start, efforts like those funded by the DentaQuest Foundation are designed to target prevention and collaboration in hyper-local ways.

One investment supports the Chicago Community Oral Health Forum to develop and expand school-based oral health education to students in the Chicago Public School system and the development of dental homes for students with urgent needs.

Another investment is supporting the University of Alabama as it implements a framework for interprofessional training that will produce health care practitioners in Alabama with a greater understanding of oral health and the ability to work in health teams to provide optimal care to their patients – from geriatrics to pediatrics.

These types of programs happening across the country target long-term improvements and sustainable changes for a variety of communities – from predominantly black public schools in Chicago to the elderly in Alabama.

The DentaQuest Institute, meanwhile, is expanding oral health care to rural parts of the country. Experts are working closely with local teams, helping providers develop evidence-based and financially-sound practices that ensure a continuum of care for regions that largely have been without regular access to dental care.

With dedication and support, these projects can ultimately change the trajectory of oral health disparities in America.

 

Engaging Grassroots with Grassmiddles to Facilitate Changes in Oral Health Equity

Why should grassroots and grassmiddles engage for oral health care? “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – African proverb

It’s been a busy spring for our team as we just wrapped up six meetings in six states (in just three weeks!). During the months of April and May, DentaQuest Foundation convened partners in the six states of our Grassroots Engagement Initiative, which launched last year in Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

The grassroots strategy aims to amplify the voice of those most impacted by oral health disparities –people who are living with tooth and mouth pain, limited access to dental services or affordable coverage, and other barriers to obtaining good oral health.

These meetings brought together those working at the state level (like oral health coalitions) – also known as the “grassmiddles” – with local-level community advocacy organizations – the “grassroots” groups.

DentaQuest Foundation’s grassmiddle partners have been working in oral health for many years and have a deep understanding of the policy environment in their states, often in addition to clinical knowledge or experience. Grassroots organizations, meanwhile, understand the needs of their communities and are experts at organizing and mobilizing community members to create change around issues like the environment, racial justice, jobs and more.

Why the Grassroots Engagement Initiative? Within it, these stakeholders learn from each other’s respective expertise. Together, they can take aligned action to improve oral health while also respecting and including the voices of those most impacted by oral health disparities.

These kinds of partnerships only serve to strengthen the effort of a larger national movement by getting everyone to agree on the priorities and join together where action is needed to improve oral health.

Illustrating the power of partnership

One of the Grassroots Engagement Initiative grantees in California is SCOPE (Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education) helped bring grassroots and grassmiddle partners to agreement on oral health change efforts.

SCOPE is a group that first emerged in the early ‘90s in the midst of the Los Angeles uprising following the Rodney King verdict. Staff from SCOPE facilitated what’s called “power mapping” at each of the six state meetings.

 “Power mapping” asks:

•  what are the major issues in a state (for example, in Arizona: lack of adult dental coverage in Medicaid, lack of access to quality oral health care in Native American and other poor communities, and a weak social safety net);
• who are the decision makers that could potentially influence those issues (for example, Governor Ducey and the Arizona legislature); and finally,
• who else might be potential allies or challengers.

Participants then map out where all of these factors and people stand on the issue. Finally, they strategize on what’s needed to shift these dynamics in a way that positively impacts oral health in the state. Ultimately, the resulting power map should be used to track progress by revisiting it periodically to see how opinions have shifted.

At each state meeting, SCOPE helped participants reach consensus on a draft power map to begin using and measuring against. The agreement resulted from peer-to-peer learning, as well as collaboration across grassmiddles and grassroots experience.

Why does this matter? How will oral health equity improve?

Power mapping can be an excellent complement to the state’s oral health plan, which is goal-oriented and shows where the state wants to go. In fact, the power map and community level actors can help inform how to get there – an element that is improved with grassroots and grassmiddles on the same page.

Ultimately, it’s crucial that efforts to create change are in line with one another when facing a problem as significant as poor oral health. These state meetings seek to encourage all of us to see ways in which we can work together, and bring our respective strengths to the table, as we work for a healthier America. 

Beyond Your Mouth: The Social Determinants of Oral Health

April is minority health month, and there’s no better time to focus on dental health—which so profoundly affects the overall health of minorities. As the commemorative month comes to a close, consider the importance of improving the oral health of all (our mission lived each day).

“Oral health implies much more than healthy teeth. The mouth is both a cause and a reflection of individual and population health and well-being,” states a study published in BMC Oral Health. This notion reflects the fact that many of the determinants of dental health go way beyond medical factors—they are behavioral, cultural, social, and economic as well.

For example, tooth decay is a major dental health issue for the United States. And the food we eat plays an important role in this. Foods rich in sugar and carbohydrates help to form plaque acid that attacks tooth enamel. But those who live in food deserts with no access to healthy, nutrient rich food, may be forced to rely heavily on these foods in their diet.

Education also plays an important role in tooth decay. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

• Adults aged 35–44 years with less than a high school education experience untreated tooth decay nearly three times that of adults with at least some college education.

• In addition, adults aged 35–44 years with less than a high school education experience destructive periodontal (gum) disease nearly three times that of adults with at least some college education.

Access to fluoride is also key. 

Prior to World War II, Americans were plagued by toothache and tooth loss.  But in 1948 the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research was formed and researchers began demonstrating the effectiveness of fluoride in preventing tooth decay. 

According to a Surgeon General’s report, “Community water fluoridation remains one of the great achievements of public health in the twentieth century—an inexpensive means of improving oral health that benefits all residents of a community, young and old, rich and poor alike.”

While community water fluoridation is highly recommended by nearly all public health, medical and dental organizations, some may still lack this important program. (Check your community’s status in this CDC fluoride finder.)

Dental insurance inequalities also contribute to health disparities, as preventive oral care including check-ups and regular dental cleanings are crucial. That is one reason we created the unique PreventistrySM approach, which not only fully covers most preventive services, but also helps highlight for network dentists those members at higher-risk of tooth decay.

This year’s minority health month theme is Accelerating Health Equity for the Nation. Long past just recognizing health inequalities, this theme calls us to improve our work toward health equity, in part by focusing specifically on the social determinants. 

As you continue to think about this theme—hopefully long past April—don’t forget about the intertwined importance of oral health.

Prevention is Key

It was great to see the National Prevention Council’s recently released action plan for health prevention – but I couldn’t help but notice that there was no mention of the importance of oral health—at all.

Prevention is what helps us have good oral health vs. poor oral health. And prevention is all about understanding your risk factors and protective factors. This is true if you are a child or an adult.

In this Oral Health Matters blog, I try to get my readers to think about the risk factors—the things in your life which contribute to poor oral health. There are protective factors too and I’ll talk about them in another blog post. Right now, however, I’ll highlight some common risk areas. I hope you will read through them thoughtfully. If you say ‘yes’ to any of them, it is time to make an appointment with your dentist.

Common risk areas:

1. Not brushing and flossing your teeth every day – to remove food and bacteria. Making this part of your daily routine is a small change that pays big benefits.


2. Irregular visits to the dentist. I encourage visiting your dentist at least once a year. Why? Your dentist can detect early signs of trouble and help you get on track.


3. Have you had a cavity within the last 3 years? Have you lost teeth because of tooth decay or gum disease? Do you have puffy or bleeding gums, receding (shrinking) gums, or areas of the gum line where the root surface of the tooth is exposed? This could mean there may be active gum disease in your mouth. Your dental professional will want to watch you closely for this.


4. How is your health? Are you pregnant? Have you been diagnosed with diabetes? Do you use/abuse tobacco (cigarettes, pipes, cigars, chewing) or drugs? Do you regularly take prescription/over-the counter-medicines? Do you have braces or partial dentures? Are you undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy? Do you have an eating disorder? Do you have dry mouth? Each of these conditions puts you at higher risk for tooth decay or gum disease. Your oral health professional will help you make adjustments to keep your mouth healthy.


5. Are you a between-meal-snacker? Do you have a fondness for sugary foods? Do you drink a lot of soda or energy drinks? The sugars and acids in these foods/drinks can encourage tooth decay—especially if you let them linger in your mouth for hours. Again, your oral health professional can help you understand how to lower your risk of oral disease with things as simple as rinsing your mouth with water after eating to keep your teeth healthy.

Think about your answers to these questions and use them to start a conversation with your dentist about managing your areas of risk.

I would like to see Americans get smarter about the role of oral health in their overall health. That’s why I write this blog. When consumers have the knowledge to prevent problems and know when to seek care, they will likely be healthier. That’s why it is upsetting to me that oral health was missing from the National Prevention Council’s action plan.

I’d like to hear what you have to say on the importance of prevention. What does prevention mean to you?

Related Posts:

• Making Coverage Matter: Pew’s 50 State Report on Children’s Oral Health
• State of Oral Health In America Is Not So Good
• A New Chapter for Prevention
• Let’s Talk About the Oral Health of America’s Children
• Healthy Smiles in Miami Dade Schools

Sonrie!

Oral care in the United States is undergoing many significant changes. One of these is the exciting growth in the number of Hispanic dental practitioners and patients.

I just returned from the Hispanic Dental Association’s Annual (HDA) Roundtable in Plano, TX where I had the privilege of representing DentaQuest. HDA is a rapidly growing organization and the growth is expected to continue well into the 21st century. That’s a good thing because some experts are projecting a U.S. population that will soon be 40% Hispanic. Being able to talk to patients in a way that respects their culture and background is so important in providing the right care, at the right time, so we make a real impact.

The Hispanic Dental Association is playing a major role in building leadership for Hispanic oral health professionals during this time of change and it, like DentaQuest, is focused on prevention, treatment and education. DentaQuest and the DentaQuest Foundation are proud to support their work in improving oral health in the Hispanic population.

It was good to hear about the plans, concerns, needs and passion for dentistry among the member dentists. Several chapter presidents are DentaQuest providers. For me, this was an opportunity to explain the many facets of the DentaQuest enterprise’s commitment to improving oral health – our benefit programs, philanthropy, and clinical care improvement projects. I talked about the work we are doing to support dentists and their patients, to make participating in our networks easier, and to make sure oral health providers can deliver the best care outcomes. The dentists at the Roundtable were very interested in DentaQuest’s dental home project, our broken appointment project, and the many ways our website makes their work easier.

The dentists I met are enthusiastic champions for good oral health. They are hopeful that we will continue to support their meetings with our presence and are anxious to work with the DentaQuest Institute to improve cultural competency at the practice level. I believe that we have a very effective partnership developing. But for any effort like this to truly be successful we will need the partnership to extend to patients as well. Patients can and should play an important role. I’d like to hear from you on your thoughts.

Sip Safely

Spring and summer are a time of sports and hot, humid weather which leads to very thirsty kids. That often translates into an increase in the consumption of sugary and acidic sports drinks. These seemingly harmless liquids can actually wreak havoc on children’s teeth.

The combination of acidic components, sugars, and additives in sports drinks combine to erode the tooth’s surface, weakening the enamel that protects teeth from bacteria. The enamel erosion ultimately makes teeth more susceptible to bacteria and leads to hypersensitivity, staining, and tooth decay.

Frequent consumption of sports drinks lowers the pH in the mouth promoting the demineralization of tooth enamel. (The lower the pH, the more acidic the item.) Demineralization is caused primarily by stable acids found in acidic foods and drinks or which form as by product from bacteria feeding on starches and sugars in the mouth, especially refined sugars.

Demineralization begins at a pH level of 5.5 although under certain conditions, may even start at a higher pH. Popular sports drinks can have a pH of 2.4 and contain 5.5 tsp of sugar in a 12 oz can. So, not only does the drink have a pH that promotes demineralization, it also contains 5.5 tsp of sugar, which can independently contribute to demineralization and tooth decay.

To put the sports drink pH of 2.4 in perspective, compare it to battery acid, which has a pH of 0 and water, which has a pH of 5-7 (neutral). Shocking that a sports drink is closer on the pH scale to battery acid, than water.

Given all this, water is always the best option for everyone but the highest performing athletes who need to replenish minerals from intensive workouts.

If these facts haven’t convinced you to avoid the casual consumption of sports drinks, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Don’t sip the drink throughout the day. - Drinking them for short periods of time means less time for the sugars and acids to erode enamel. Rinse your mouth with water when you’re done to clear away remaining acids and sugars.

Don’t swish the drink around your mouth. - That only increases the risk of erosion. Instead, use a straw so teeth aren’t immersed in or in direct contact with the sugars and acids in the beverage.

Resist the urge to brush your teeth immediately after finishing a sports drink. - Tooth enamel softens after consumption of acidic drinks, making teeth susceptible to more wear from the abrasives in toothpaste. Wait 45 minutes to an hour before brushing to give your saliva time to re-mineralize the tooth structure and neutralize the damage.

Seek regular dental care. - Tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease, five times more common than asthma. It’s also preventable with proper care. Your dentist can identify early signs of erosion, pinpoint the causes, and advise you on how to prevent further damage and more serious problems from occurring.

Making Coverage Matter: Pew’s 50 State Report on Children’s Oral Health

On May 24th, The Pew Center on the States, with support from the DentaQuest Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation, issued its second annual report, Making Coverage Matter: Pew’s 50 State Report on Children’s Oral Health.

The report reflects a concerted effort and notable improvement among many of the states during the past year, proving that system changes can yield positive results for states continuing to struggle to provide adequate oral health care for children.

This year, seven states earned ‘A’s including Alaska, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and South Carolina. Of these, Maryland was the top performing state, meeting seven of eight benchmarks. In addition, 22 states improved their grades, six of which raised their grade by at least two letters.

But even ‘A’ states have work to do. In five of these seven states, most Medicaid-enrolled children went a full year without seeing a dentist. And the total underserved population of all 7 ‘A’ states is 2,854,594 people.

While this report highlights the hard work that has gone on across the country to educate the general public and policy makers about programs that reduce disease and increase access to oral health care, lack of access to dental care is still an unacceptably persistent problem. Every year, 16 million children go without dental care, placing them at great risk of getting cavities. Cavities are almost 100% preventable when children have access to prevention, education and treatment services.

Five states including Florida, Hawaii, New Jersey, Indiana, Montana, received ‘F’s from this year’s report. By adopting relatively inexpensive and cost-effective strategies, ‘F’ states could improve children’s dental health. For Florida, Hawaii and New Jersey, this is the second straight year receiving failing grades. Indiana and Montana fell from a ‘D’ to an ‘F’.

This report gets people talking about oral health—and that’s important because it serves as a continuing national call to action for all 50 states to do more to improve children's oral health.

So let’s keep talking. What do you think this report has accomplished? Have you seen any signs of change in your state? Please share your thoughts by commenting on my blog.

A copy of the report can be found on the DentaQuest Foundation’s website, www.dentaquestfoundation.org.

Maryland Dental Action Coalition Launches 5-Year Oral Health Plan

On May 17, the Maryland Dental Acton Coalition proudly presented a 5-year (2011-2015) state plan to promote the oral health of all Marylanders. The plan addresses Maryland’s most critical oral health needs and capitalizes on available resources and data.

Speaking at the celebratory launch event is The Honorable Elijah Cummings, U.S. Congress, a long time supporter of oral health access for children in Maryland and across the United States. Also speaking are Delegate Keith Haynes, Maryland General Assembly, Renee Cohen on behalf of the Honorable Ben Cardin, U.S. Congress, Josh Sharfstein, Secretary, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Joseph and Madeline Misero, Katrina Holt, Chair, MDAC Maryland Oral Health Plan Committee, and Beth Lowe, Chair, MDAC. Also speaking is Ralph Fuccillo, President of the DentaQuest Foundation, which provided start up grant funds to MDAC.

Maryland has become a national model in improving the oral health of its citizens over the last decade. The roots of this process go back to 2007, following the untimely death of a 12-year old Maryland child from an untreated dental infection. A statewide Dental Action Committee (DAC) was convened by John M. Colmers, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH), with a specific charge to make recommendations to improve access to oral health care for vulnerable (disadvantaged and/or underinsured) children.

In 2010, the DAC transitioned to the Maryland Dental Action Coalition (MDAC), an independent, broad-based partnership of individuals working to make sure progress continued on the DAC’s recommendations for improving access to oral health care for all Marylanders. Last year, MDAC hosted an Oral Health Heroes Celebration to recognize the work of these oral health pioneers.

The Maryland Dental Action Coalition and its members initiated the development of a 5-year state oral health plan and offered guidance as it was developed. The process involved many individuals in state and local government, academic institutions, professional dental organizations, private practice dentists, community-based programs, the insurance industry, advocacy groups, and others. The goals, objectives and activities in the plan will be the basis for work of the Maryland Dental Action Coalition in the years ahead specifically for:
• Access to oral health care
• Oral disease and injury prevention
• Oral health literacy and education.

With the launch of the plan comes a new phase of collaborative action to improve oral health for Marylanders. MDAC is taking inspiration from Helen Keller, who once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much!”

A copy of the Maryland Oral Health Plan will be posted to the DentaQuest Foundation website in Reports: www.dentaquestfoundation.org/resources/reports.php

Eliminating Disparities; Promoting Health Equity

Pictured:
Dr. Chester W. Douglass, Harvard University School of Dental Medicine and Harvard School of Public Health and Dr. Philip Woods, Periodontist and Reede Scholar.


Guest blog post by Ralph Fuccillo, President, DentaQuest Foundation

The DentaQuest Foundation was honored to sponsor the Reede Scholars 2nd Annual Health Equity Symposium held at Harvard Medical School on May 12, 2011. An audience of more than 75 leaders among the health professions, including community programming, health delivery systems, health plans and purchasers, large employers, government leaders, and health policy experts attended.

Reede Scholars are health care professionals (physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists and dentists) who are working from the grassroots level to the national level, in business, academia and government. This makes for a powerful network of individuals with numerous and varied talents, experiences and interests -- all focused on improving the health and well-being of underserved populations and racial/ethnic minorities.

The program is named to honor its creator and mentor, Dr. Joan Y. Reede, a pioneer in efforts to improve the representation of ethnic minorities in health services careers and founder of the Minority Health Policy Fellowship. Dr. Reede is an inspiration for thousands who seek to make a difference in the health of their communities. Reede Scholars are advancing public health goals that aim to remedy the root causes of poor health, chronic illnesses, morbidity and death and encouraging greater civic participation and support for improved health, community empowerment, and health equity.

The 2011 Health Equity Symposium explored Health Information Technology (HIT) as an approach to achieving health equity. Dr. David Blumenthal, the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology under President Barack Obama, spoke about the potential of health information technologies as a tool providers can use to better understand the socio-demographics of their patients and monitoring for disparities. Properly used, HIT has the potential to provide a rich and consistent profile of the patient to all his/her providers (medical, behavioral, oral health) not just for diagnosis but also as a point of engagement for patient education and lifestyle improvements.

Often, problems with access to dental care can be linked to the insufficient number of dental and medical provider groups with the experience and training to offer culturally competent care to the population as it is now. Investing in educational programs to diversify the student pool and provide consistent quality experiences outside of traditional clinics is nothing less than investing in the future. Sponsorship of the Reede Health Equity Symposium is one example of DentaQuest’s investments in public health dentistry, health equity and eliminating disparities.

DentaQuest shares the commitment that the return on these investments continue to add new professionals who enter public and private practice with the cultural sensitivity and training to meet the needs of the population as it is now and as it will change.