Rural Health Information Hub Latest News

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.

Click here to read the resolution.

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.

Click here to read the study.

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.

Click here to read the issue.

New ADA Open Access Journal

The American Dental Association is introducing a new cross-disciplinary and open access journal, JADA Foundational Science. This new journal bridges basic and clinic sciences in oral health research. Submissions are now being accepted for research on foundational science and more topics.

Click here to learn more.

New Research Brief: School-Based Oral Health Programs Impacts of COVID-19

The Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) and the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health have released a new research brief, “Challenges in Implementing School-Based Oral Health Programs: Short and Long Term Impacts of COVID-19.” The brief includes challenges faced by programs due to COVID-19, challenges anticipated in the coming years, and additional support.

Click here to read the brief.

New Report Includes Proposed Solutions to Oral Health Inequities

Tackling health inequities is a huge challenge, but there are ways we can champion progress and work toward solutions. These solutions include sustained, enhanced use of teledentistry, minimally invasive dentistry, interprofessional collaborative practice, workforce expansion, value-based care, and enhanced public insurance programs. CareQuest Institute experts partnered with industry leaders on a chapter in the new report from by Harvard Medical School’s Center for Primary Care.

Click here to access the report.

Challenges Identified in Implementing School-Based Oral Health Programs

School-based oral health programs are an essential access point for children to receive preventive oral health services, but the pandemic has disrupted K-12 learning. A survey of state and territorial dental directors reveals that while there are slight improvements seen for planned oral health programs in spring 2021, there may be an increase in children’s oral diseases — especially among racial/ethnic minority groups — in the coming years.

The report can be accessed here.

Will the Pandemic Change Oral Health Forever?

The numbers are staggering.  The — State of Oral Health Equity in America 2021 — revealed that 6 million adults had lost their dental insurance because of the pandemic, and more than 1 in 10 had delayed getting care because of cost, lack of insurance, fear of exposure to the virus, or a combination of those factors.

An article highlighting that research and discussing whether the pandemic will change oral health forever appeared in The New York Times Magazine on Wednesday. Can the rise of teledentistry and other innovations help fix some of the disparities in care?

Click here to access the article.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Open Comment Period Announced on Pediatric Dental Caries Prevention

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is seeking public comments on a draft recommendation statement and draft evidence review, “Screening and Interventions to Prevent Dental Caries in Children.” The Task Force recommends primary care clinicians use fluoride varnish and fluoride supplementation in young children to prevent cavities. There is not enough evidence to recommend for or against screening for cavities in primary care. The draft recommendation statement and draft evidence review are available for review and public comment from until June 7.

Click here to review and comment.

Pennsylvania Community Water Fluoridation Map Launched

The Pennsylvania Coalition for Oral Health (PCOH) is excited to share an interactive community water fluoridation map for Pennsylvania. PCOH has been collaborating on this project with the University of Pittsburgh School of Dentistry and the Pittsburgh Collaboratory for Water Research, Education, & Outreach. The story map has three tabs with the first being informational. The second tab allows individuals to search for water system by typing in an address. The third tab is interactive and allows individuals to zoom in and out and to add and remove layers of information such as water system name, fluoridation status, legislative districts, municipal and county boundaries, school districts, and dental health provider shortage areas (DHPSAs). There is also a corresponding brief to go along with the map,
“In the Fight Against Tooth Decay: May the Fluoride Be With You!”

Click here to access the map.
Click here to read the brief.