Oral Health Strategies

Our 2018 Symposium was a Hit!

Date: February 13, 2018
Author: Dawn Jacobs
Categories: ABCD, Adult Dental, Affordable Care Act, Chidren's Dental, Child Dental, Medicaid, Oral Health Strategies, Volunteer Dental Care
Presentation room, packed with people

On Friday, February 9th, the Pierce County Oral Health Coalition held it’s 2018 Symposium; “Brushing Up: Current Trends in Oral Health”.
We had more than a 100 attendees bringing together dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants and students from different oral health organizations and schools. The event was a resounding success! Everyone had the opportunity to learn more about Silver Diamine Fluoride, as well as the Baby Teeth Matter program. We all heard health updates on the Heroin/Opioid Crisis, E-Cigarettes, Vape and Hookah and the impacts of drug use on oral health. Below are photos from our event and below the photos are links to the event handouts and presentations.

 

 

 

Presentations and Handout Below:


Arcora BTM Canoe 2018
Baby Teeth Matter by Dr. Sean R. Kelly
Carol Roberton’s Presentation
DentalOpioidRecommendations_Web
Final UW Consent for SDF Handout
Opioid Epidemic Final – OH Summit
OralHealthSymposium- Arti Patel
SDF Pierce Co OHC PPT handout

 

Project Homeless Connect Almost Here!!

Date: October 12, 2017
Author: Dawn Jacobs
Categories: Adult Dental, Affordable Care Act, Child Dental, Emergent Care, Medicaid, Oral Health Strategies, Uncategorized, Volunteer Dental Care

According to Sound Outreach Services, “On any given night in Pierce County 2000 people experience homelessness. This number includes babies, children, teens, and adults. They are victims of domestic violence, people with disabilities, veterans, and senior citizens…Project Homeless Connect provides a starting place on the journey back to safety, stability, health, and hope. Project Homeless Connect reduces the duration of homelessness by providing services that address the basic needs; basic medical and dental care, access to education, employment and benefits systems, chemical dependency assessments, flu shots, haircuts, and much more – all under one roof!”

Please share news of the upcoming event returning to the Tacoma Dome on Wednesday, October 25th from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm .To volunteer in the Dental Services area, contact pcds@pcdentists.org. Attendees interested in the dental services are encouraged to arrive early.

Please see below for more details:

http://www.soundoutreach.org/project-homeless-connect/

Project Homeless Connect is coming back to the Tacoma Dome!
Date: August 1, 2017
Photo By: Dawn Jacobs

According to Sound Outreach Services, “On any given night in Pierce County 2000 people experience homelessness. This number includes babies, children, teens, and adults. They are victims of domestic violence, people with disabilities, veterans, and senior citizens…Project Homeless Connect provides a starting place on the journey back to safety, stability, health, and hope. Project Homeless Connect reduces the duration of homelessness by providing services that address the basic needs; basic medical and dental care, access to education, employment and benefits systems, chemical dependency assessments, flu shots, haircuts, and much more – all under one roof!”

Please share news of the upcoming event returning to the Tacoma Dome on Wednesday, October 25th from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm .To volunteer in the Dental Services area, contact pcds@pcdentists.org. Attendees interested in the dental services are encouraged to arrive early.

Please see below for more details:

http://www.soundoutreach.org/project-homeless-connect/

Tacoma Dome

Community Health Care opens Dental Clinic in Spanaway!
Date: July 5, 2017
Photo By: Dawn Jacobs

CHC Spanaway Dental - Flyer

Community Health Care has opened a new dental clinic at their Spanaway location off Pacific Avenue by the Roy Y. The new clinic features six dental chairs and will provide oral health services for children, adults and seniors. Community Health Care accepts all Apple Health/Medicaid plans and they offer a sliding-fee scale which they use to adjust the cost of service based on a patient’s income. If you are interested in scheduling an appointment, please call (253) 210-5270. For more information about Community Health Care’s services and other clinics, please visit: www.commhealth.org

Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department releases Smile Survey

Date: June 16, 2017
Author: Dawn Jacobs
Categories: ABCD, Adult Dental, Affordable Care Act, Chidren's Dental, Child Dental, Emergent Care, Health Care Authority, Medicaid, Oral Health Strategies, Oral Health Trends, Oral Systemic Health, Volunteer Dental Care
Toddler smiling while brushing her teeth

Toddler smiling while brushing her teeth

Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department has released the Smile Survey, a report which details the oral health of children in Pierce County. The report shows that compared to 2010, substantially fewer children have untreated decay and substantially more children have protective dental sealants.

This is due in part to the presence of the TPCHD School Based Oral-Health program, which connects dental providers to schools so dental staff can visit local schools to provide dental screenings, fluoride varnish, dental sealant applications and oral health education. The work these providers have done has greatly reduced the untreated decay in the county and provided far more access to preventive dental services, like sealants.

For access to the Smile Survey, and articles regarding the School Based Oral-Health Program, visit the links below:

 

2015 PC Smile Survey Final

Final Pierce op-ed

Pierce County SBHP

Senior & Veteran Dental Care Day was Huge Success!
Date: May 11, 2017
Photo By: Dawn Jacobs

Our Senior and Dental Care day was a Massive Success!

Through the work of volunteer dental providers and member organizations of the PCOHC, we we able to provide $42,788.00 worth of care!!

We would like to give a special thanks to Burkhart Dental Supply for their generous donation of oral health supplies for seniors in need in Pierce County. We would also like to give a very special thank you to our volunteer providers who provided care at this event, as well as a thank you to the staff and students of Bates Technical College who hosted the event.

We provided:

53 Extractions

40 Restorations

7 Dentures

47 Screenings

20170310_Senior Dental Care Day_0001 20170310_Senior Dental Care Day_0021 20170310_Senior Dental Care Day_0043 20170310_Senior Dental Care Day_0030