Rural Health Information Hub Latest News

Pennsylvania Oral Health 2019 Charitable Work Tracking Survey: There’s Still Time!

PCOH is tracking the amount of free and charitable dental services provided in Pennsylvania. We are still collecting information on services provided in the calendar year 2019. Every year, thousands of dollars are spent in providing free dental care to those in need of dental services. In 2018, PCOH was able to collect data from 21 different organizations offering free services to 10,300 patients. The data collected show that over 40,400 procedures were performed free-of-charge in 2018 for a total estimated value of $5.8 million. Please help us by filling out this form to provide information about your program’s numbers in 2019. It should take 15-30 minutes to complete the questions; no questions are required, but your response will be most helpful if you can answer questions that you have numbers for.

Click here to fill out the survey.

New Resources from ASTDD and DentaQuest 

The Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) and the DentaQuest Partnership for Oral Health Advancement developed a new research brief and infographic focused on access to oral health in schools. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how school-based oral health (SBOH) programs deliver dental care for children. In order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and keep children safe, schools have gone to virtual learning or modified schedules. This has significantly impacted SBOH programs and the ability to gain access to children who have the highest need for oral health services and thus, has required SBOH programs to reassess how they will reach these children.

Click here to read the brief.
Click here to view the infographic.

Oral Health Care During Pregnancy: A Resource Guide 

The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center at Georgetown University recently published the third edition of “Oral Health Care During Pregnancy: A Resource Guide.” This guide was created to help promote oral health and prevent oral disease in pregnant women, as well as to help pregnant women achieve the best possible oral health for themselves and their infants. It features links to materials on surveillance, policy, practice guidance, practice tools, professional education and training, program development, and public education.

Click here to read the guide.

Opportunity for Pennsylvania High Schoolers: AHEC SEARCH Academy

The Pennsylvania Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) is hosting a new program for high school students, “PA AHEC Students Exploring And Researching Careers in Healthcare (SEARCH) Academy.” The program includes a series of virtual sessions with health professionals from across the state and hands-on activities. PCOH is excited to host the dentistry session on February 9th at 6:30 p.m. Please share this information with any high school students you know interested in dental careers. Interested students should apply ASAP to get materials prior to the session.

Click here for more information and to apply.

COVID Impacts on Rural Dental Care System

Access to oral health care has become a growing concern over the past decade, and the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on all aspects of the oral health care system. Patients, dental providers, educators, and regulators are being asked to rapidly adjust to the COVID-19 crisis with almost no roadmap. To provide some guidance, the Oral Health Workforce Research Center has developed a new section of their website dedicated to sharing information on immediate impacts to the dental care system as a result of COVID-19, including care delivery, financing, regulation, and education.

Survey Shows Dentists Are Receptive to Teledentistry

Telehealth has become a path to provide safe, efficient, and accessible dental care during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey of nearly 3,000 dentists conducted by the DentaQuest Partnership reveals that the oral health care system is ready to implement teledentistry as a viable tool to deliver preventative care, not only during the pandemic, but long-term. The results can be narrowed down by teledentistry usage type, state, financial considerations, and opportunities for growth.

Click here to view the findings.