- Telehealth Study Recruiting Veterans Now
- USDA Delivers Immediate Relief to Farmers, Ranchers and Rural Communities Impacted by Recent Disasters
- Submit Nominations for Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) Committees
- Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation of the Medicare Program (Executive Order 14192) - Request for Information
- Dr. Mehmet Oz Shares Vision for CMS
- CMS Refocuses on its Core Mission and Preserving the State-Federal Medicaid Partnership
- Social Factors Help Explain Worse Cardiovascular Health among Adults in Rural Vs. Urban Communities
- Reducing Barriers to Participation in Population-Based Total Cost of Care (PB-TCOC) Models and Supporting Primary and Specialty Care Transformation: Request for Input
- Secretary Kennedy Renews Public Health Emergency Declaration to Address National Opioid Crisis
- Secretary Kennedy Renews Public Health Emergency Declaration to Address National Opioid Crisis
- 2025 Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Proposed Rule
- Rural America Faces Growing Shortage of Eye Surgeons
- NRHA Continues Partnership to Advance Rural Oral Health
- Comments Requested on Mobile Crisis Team Services: An Implementation Toolkit Draft
- Q&A: What Are the Challenges and Opportunities of Small-Town Philanthropy?
Oral Health and Children with Heart Conditions
A new study, “Preventive Dental Care and Oral Health of Children with and without Heart Conditions,” was recently published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Children living with heart defects are more likely to develop infective endocarditis. The study found that 1 in 10 children with a heart condition had teeth in fair/poor condition and 1 in 6 had at least one indicator of poor oral health such as toothaches, bleeding gums, or cavities in the past year.
Black History Month and Oral Health Equity
Did you know that black adults are 68% more likely than white adults to have unmet dental needs? Black History Month provides an opportunity to pause and reflect on how to make changes today to get closer to equity for all in the future. A new blog post from the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health spotlights statistics from an inequitable oral health care system that needs care, attention, and advocacy to change. The post also highlights the many black Americans that helped shape oral health history.
ADA: Managing Dental Staff Resources
The American Dental Association (ADA) has released a new series addressing staffing challenges facing dental offices. The new resources focus on recruitment, hiring, and training staff. Resources include informational packets, articles, guides, podcast recordings, and courses.
American Heart Month: The Link Between Oral Health and Heart Disease
February is American Heart Month. In the United States, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in most racial/ethnic groups, contributing to 659,000 deaths each year. One in every four deaths is attributed to heart disease. Moderate to severe periodontal disease is linked to higher risk for heart disease. The bacteria in the mouth can enter the bloodstream and cause inflammation and plaque accumulation in blood vessels.
Click here for more information about oral health and heart disease.
Click here for more information about American Heart Month.
PA Oral Health Coalition Releases 2021 Annual Report
The PA Coalition for Oral Health (PCOH) is pleased to announce the completion of our 2021 Annual Report. Our work would not be possible without you. Thank you to all stakeholders, partners, and funders for working hard to improve oral health in Pennsylvania.
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month
This week is the start of National Children’s Dental Health Month (NCDHM). During February, oral health advocates across the country are raising awareness on the importance of children’s oral health and focusing on the theme, “Sealants Make Sense.” Free materials are available from the American Dental Association (ADA). Oral Health Watch is also hosting the “National Children’s Dental Health Month Tweet Chat” with several cohosts on February 10th at 2 pm ET. Participants are encouraged to follow @OralHealthWatch on Twitter and use #NCDHM and #KidsTeeth in any NCDHM-related tweets.
Click here to view the ADA’s free materials.
Click here to check out @OralHealthWatch on Twitter.
CDC Division of Oral Health New Email Subscriptions
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Oral Health has unveiled a new communication series of three topic-focused email subscriptions to educate, promote, and share information on various oral health subjects. The three new emails are General Updates from the Division of Oral Health, Infection Prevention & Control in Dental Settings, and CDC’s Dental Public Health Residency Program. The emails are intended for dental health care personnel, dental and dental public health students, advocates and educators, researchers, water operators and engineers, and anyone interested in oral health.
Click here to subscribe to the General Updates emails.
Click here to subscribe to the Infection Prevention & Control emails.
Click here to subscribe to the Dental Public Health Residency Program emails.
FDA Warning on Transmucosal Buprenorphine Issued
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a warning on the use of transmucosal buprenorphine, a drug prescribed to treat opioid use disorder and pain. They warn that it may cause dental problems.
All About Fluoride Resource – 2022 Updates
The American Dental Association (ADA) has updated their “All About Fluoride” one-pager to reflect a 2022 edition which includes an update to the hyperlinked files in the resource. Stakeholders are encouraged to share this resource with all audiences, especially dental providers looking for guidance on how to take action on fluoride.
Good Faith Estimate Requirements for Health Center Dental Programs
The Good Faith Estimates (GFE) requirements of the No Surprise Bills Act went into effect January 1, 2022. Visit the CMS website for more information about the new requirements related to surprise medical bills.