- Miles for Milk: How Student-Run Grocery Store Reshaped Rural Community's Food Access
- Native Americans Have Shorter Life Spans, and It's Not Just Due to Lack of Health Care
- Promotoras Play Essential Role in Connecting Farmworkers with Health Care in Rural NorCal
- Using Medicaid to Address Young People's Mental Health Needs in School Settings
- Across the Country, Amish Populations Are on the Rise
- Sunsets, Wildlife and Limited Care: Challenges of Aging in Place in Rural America
- City-Country Mortality Gap Widens amid Persistent Holes in Rural Health Care Access
- Tribal Environmental Impact Network
- Minnesota's Rural Ambulance Providers Look to State Capitol for Their Own Lifeline
- Biden-Harris Administration Takes Action to Support the Primary Care Workforce
- Over 3,000 Homes on the Navajo Nation Receive Accurate Addresses for the First Time
- Rural Population Grows for Second Consecutive Year
- Rapides Library Offers Telehealth to a Town Without Doctors
- Rural Infection Preventionists Need Community Support
- New Federal Health IT Strategy Sets Sights on a Heathier, More Innovative, and More Equitable Health Care Experience
New Report: Connection Between Oral Health and Mental Health
A new CareQuest Institute survey found that poor mental health status may be linked to dental fear and delayed dental care. In January and February 2021, CareQuest conducted a nationally representative survey to examine attitudes, experiences, and behaviors related to oral health. Respondents self-rated their mental health and oral health status and answered questions about oral healthcare utilization. Findings from this study showed consistent oral health disparities among those with self-identified poor mental health.
Final Research Plan: Oral Health in Youth and Adults
The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) posted the final research plan on screening, referral, behavioral counseling, and preventive interventions for oral health. The draft Research Plan was posted on the USPSTF website for public comment in March 2021 and revisions were made.
Dental Caries Among the Geriatric Population
Scientists have long speculated about the prevalence of dental caries and their potential long-term risk factors among the geriatric population. Recently, the topic was further explored in an article titled, “Caries disease among an elderly population — A 10-year longitudinal study.” The piece was published in the International Journal of Dental Hygiene earlier this month.
2021 PA Oral Health Champion Awards: Now Accepting Nominations
PCOH is pleased to announce the 2021 PA Oral Health Champion Awards. Awardees will be selected by the Board of Directors of PCOH, upon recommendation of the Summit Committee, and are based on notable work on oral health progress in Pennsylvania. Awardees will have the option to accept their awards in-person or virtually at the 2021 PA Oral Health Summit on November 12th. All nominations must be submitted by September 27th at 5 p.m.
Award Categories
— Innovative Oral Health Champion (individual)
— Innovative Oral Health Champion (organization)
— Community Water Fluoridation Champion (individual or organization)
WHO Declares Oral Health a Global Health Priority
Oral health may no longer be low on the list of global health priorities. At a May 27 meeting of the World Health Organization (WHO), health ministries around the world approved a resolution that puts achieving better oral health back on the global agenda. Click here to read the article.
Dental Benefit Limit Exceptions (BLE) Process Simplified in Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Health Law Project (PHLP) recently published a simplified overview of the April changes to the Medicaid Benefit Limit Exception (BLE) process. Individuals can contact PHLP’s Helpline at 1-800-274-3258 or staff@phlp.org for help with a Medicaid dental service denial.
WHO Declares Oral Health a Global Priority
The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared oral health a global priority. Health ministries supported a new resolution that urged oral health be included in the noncommunicable disease agenda. The resolution recommended a shift from the traditional curative approach towards a preventive approach that includes promotion of oral health within the family, schools and workplaces, and also a comprehensive and inclusive approach to the delivery of oral health care within the primary health care system. WHO also recommended that oral health care be included in universal health coverage programs. WHO will draft a global strategy on tackling oral diseases for consideration in 2022 and recommend an action plan by 2023.
Study Shows COVID-19 Infection Rates Lower Among Dentists
More than a year after COVID-19 appeared in the United States, dentists continue to have a lower infection rate than other front-line health professionals, such as nurses and physicians, according to a study published in The Journal of the American Dental Association. The study, “COVID-19 among Dentists in the U.S. and Associated Infection Control: a six-month longitudinal study” looks at the number of dentists with confirmed or probable COVID-19 infections over more than six months. The results of this study show that prevalence and incidence rates among dentists continue to be very low when compared to the population as a whole and to other health care professionals.
Many Dental Hygienists Still Off the Job
Approximately six percent of dental hygienists who had been employed were not working as of March, a slight improvement over the prior few months, according to a webinar hosted by the American Dental Association and the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) on May 4. That’s 1 in 16 dental hygienists still not working due to COVID-19. Many hygienists continue not to work due to general concerns about SARS-CoV-2 or a lack of childcare, said Rachel Morrissey, an ADA Health Policy Institute research analyst. In February, the ADHA released studies showing that COVID-19 pushed about eight percent of hygienists out of the workforce and warned that a shortage of these team members would likely exist until the pandemic was over.
Pennsylvania Oral Health Coalition PCOH Recognized as State Rural Health Program of the Year
The Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health recently released the 2021 spring issue of the Pennsylvania Rural Health magazine. This issue highlights the 2020 Rural Health Awards. PCOH is recognized as the State Rural Health Program of the Year. Other topics in this issue include health equity in rural Pennsylvania A, transforming health care in rural areas, and more.