Child Dental

January 2015 Project Homeless Connect focuses on youth

Date: December 29, 2014
Author: Dawn Jacobs
Categories: ABCD, Affordable Care Act, Chidren's Dental, Child Dental, Emergent Care, Health Care Authority, Medicaid, Oral Health Strategies, Uncategorized, Volunteer Dental Care

On Saturday, January 24, 2015 Project Homeless Connect will uniquely focus on providing preventive, supportive and empowering services to Pierce County youth and families with youth. Pierce County Dental Society, in partnership with its dentists and other PCOHC members will work together to provide free and much-needed dental services

Other community partners will be on hand to offer medical services, insurance information, ID replacement, haircuts, resume writing and college information (college representatives will be present). Also available: give-aways, Zumba, face painting, childcare. The event takes place at Spanaway Middle School, 15701 B Street E, Spanaway, WA,10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Interested in volunteering in the dental services area? Contact Cheryl Jenkins at pcds@pcdentists.org. All other event questions may be directed to alanna@southsoundoutreach.org or 253-593-2111 extension 121.

Spread the word: Project Homeless Connect HYPED Flyer

 

Coalition meets September 10, 2014 at Community Health Care Hilltop Regional Health Center

Date: August 19, 2014
Author: Dawn Jacobs
Categories: Adult Dental, Affordable Care Act, Child Dental, Emergent Care, Medicaid, Oral Health Strategies

The Pierce County Oral Health Coalition (PCOHC) is pleased to announce that its monthly September meeting will be hosted by Community Health Care (CHC) and held at their Hilltop Regional Health Center. The event will include a presentation on their Dental Residency Program within a Community Health Care Setting, and a tour of CHC’s new Hilltop facility.

Invitation: PCOHC September 2014 Flyer

Location:

Community Health Care Hilltop Regional Health Center

1202 Martin Luther King Jr. Way

Tacoma, WA 98405

Community Room (1st Floor)

Time: 1-3 p.m.

CE: 1 CE available

Lunch will be provided, including vegetarian options. Please RSVP by September 8, at: pcohc@pcdentists.org.

Parking: Parking is available in the CHC parking lot behind the Hilltop Regional Health Center, or on the street.

Washington leads nation in access to dental care for low-income children

Date: May 26, 2014
Author: Dawn Jacobs
Categories: ABCD, Affordable Care Act, Chidren's Dental, Child Dental, Medicaid, Oral Health Strategies, Uncategorized

Washington State has a reason to smile as the nation’s leader in the percentage of babies and preschoolers from low-income families getting dental care.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 54% of Medicaid-eligible young children are receiving oral care in Washington, a rate higher than any other state.  (For more information, see the May 9 story in the Puget Sound Business Journal: A reason to smile: Washington leads nation in access to dental care for low-income kids.)

In Pierce County, the percentage of Medicaid-eligible children accessing dental care has increased steadily since implementation of the Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD) program. The ABCD Program focuses on oral health education and early dental care for children ages 5 and under. In 2012, the percentage of Medicaid-eligible Pierce County children accessing dental care was just over 45%. Data and Medicaid dental reports are available on the Health Care Authority website.

While the above is good news, the challenge and opportunity exist, both State and county-wide, to connect the remaining percentages of Medicaid-eligible kids to dental care at least once a year. As a community, we can help by sharing the following oral health messages:

  • Oral health is an essential component of overall health.
  • Children should have a dental visit by first tooth or first birthday.
  • Dental disease is both preventable and treatable. Early oral health education and intervention are cost-effective health measures, and key to prevention of dental disease.
  • The ABCD program makes dental care possible for low-income children ages 0-5.  Find Pierce County ABCD and dentist referral information here.
  • Pierce County has many dental care providers, including many Pierce County Oral Health Coalition partners, who accept children, ages 0-18 who have WA Apple Health (Medicaid) insurance. Find low cost Pierce County dental providers here.

 

Free maternal and child oral health publications

Date: April 24, 2014
Author: Dawn Jacobs
Categories: Chidren's Dental, Child Dental, Oral Health Strategies

The Washington State Oral Health Coalition recently shared that “the contract for the Health Resources and Services Administration’s warehouse will end on June 2, 2014. This news significantly impacts the distribution of materials produced by the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC).  Although we hope to maintain limited warehouse and distribution capacity, the future of such service is uncertain.”

Many useful printed oral health materials, including consumer brochures, fact sheets, policy briefs and more are available without charge, to be ordered singly or in bulk.

Those interested are encouraged to order printed OHRC materials as soon as possible using the online order form at www.mchoralhealth.org/order/index.html.  Should you want more copies than the form will allow you to order,  select the limit and indicate the total amount of desired copies in the “Notes” box at the end of the order form.

Eastern Washington medical-dental health summit

Date: April 14, 2014
Author: Dawn Jacobs
Categories: ABCD, Adult Dental, Chidren's Dental, Child Dental, Emergent Care, Oral Health Strategies

Concerned about the overall health of members in your community? Consider attending “Bridging the Gap between Medicine and Dentistry” summit on Friday, April 25, 2014, in Pasco, Wa. A screening of a new documentary on the connections between oral health and overall health will be shown the day before.

The following link contains registration and additional information: Eastern Washington Medical-Dental Summit 2014.

7 CME/CDE credits available

Oral health fun at Children’s Dental Health Day at South Hill Mall

Date: February 28, 2014
Author: Dawn Jacobs
Categories: Chidren's Dental, Child Dental, Volunteer Dental Care

What do Chompy the Carrot, the Tooth Fairy, toothbrushes, sugar displays, and people in lab coats have in common? Children’s Dental Health Day in Puyallup!

For the 23rd year and in celebration of February as Children’s Dental Health month, the Pierce County Dental Society (PCDS) sponsored an array of free oral health services, resources, and information for children and their families.

Pierce County Dental Society dentists volunteered, along with other volunteer dentists, dental assistants, and dental hygienists, including those from Community Health Care, Bates and Clover Park  Dental Assisting Schools to provide free oral screenings, fluoride varnish applications, and family oral health instructions. Children needing additional care were seen on the nearby Medical Teams International mobile dental van staffed by volunteer Pierce County dentists.

Families also received valuable oral and other health-related information, instructions on how to sign up for the Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD) program, and obtained referrals to affordable dental resources within Pierce County.  Participating Pierce County Oral Health Coalition partners and other community resources included:

  • Bates Dental Assisting School
  • Clover Park Dental Assisting School
  • Community Health Care
  • Good Samaritan Bicycle Program
  • Lindquist Dental Clinic for Children
  • Medical Teams International
  • Pierce County Dentists Care
  • Pierce County Dental Foundation
  • Puyallup Tribal Health Authority
  • SeaMar Community Health
  • Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s ABCD Program

Chompy the Carrot entertained the crowd while conveying the vital message that nutrition matters when it comes to maintaining healthy teeth. For more information on how to keep your child’s teeth healthy,  go here.