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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.

State Board of Health endorses seven oral health strategies

Date: November 21, 2013
Author: Dawn Jacobs
Categories: Oral Health Strategies
The State Board of Health Presented a graphic image of the multiple facets of oral health in a presentation made on Nov. 13, 2013.

The Washington State Board of Health presented a graphic image of the multiple facets of oral health in a presentation made on Nov. 13.

Following nearly two years of planning with state and national oral health experts, the Washington State Board of Health endorsed seven oral health strategies to improve the oral health of state residents. The board endorsed the proposals at its Nov. 13 meeting, following a detailed discussion of the strategies from state oral health experts.

The guidelines provide a foundation to guide the board’s policy development activities and encourage efforts that focus on oral health promotion, prevention, intervention, and treatment.

The board noted in its summary of the strategies that poor oral health is costly to the state and is associated with a range of problems that affect children, adults, and seniors. An estimated 51 million school hours are lost annually by children because of dental health problems, and dental complaints in 2010 were the No. 1 reason why uninsured adults visited the state’s hospital emergency rooms, racking up $36 million in costs over 18 months.

A copy of the seven strategies can be found on the board’s web site. A detailed presentation summarizing the strategies is also published. The strategies call for best-practice and evidence-based efforts focusing on the following areas:

  • Health systems
  • Community water fluoridation
  • Sealant programs
  • Interprofessional collaboration
  • Oral health literacy
  • Surveillance
  • Work force