Goal:

Prevention of untreated dental caries in adults and youth

Strategy Description:

1.   Dental health education for children in head start, Judy centers and schools. 2.   Fluoride rinse for children who do not have access to a fluoridated water source. 3.   Dental prophylaxis and treatement in the Garrett County Health Department dental clinic.

Level of Change:

Programs

Primary Focus Area:

Access to Care and Linkages to Community Resources

Data Category Tag:

GCHD Dental

Strategic Planning Alignment:

Estimated Implementation Date:

2016-01-01

Estimated Completion Date:

2022-07-30

Estimated Ease of Implementation:

Moderate

Estimated Cost of Implementation:

Moderate

Potential Community Benefit:

High

Health Equity:

Research:

Community Dent Health. 2016 Jun;33(2):164-7. Do 'poor areas' get the services they deserve? The role of dental services in structural inequalities in oral health. Harris RV. Abstract All over the world, we see that communities with the greatest dental need receive the poorest care--a truism first summarised by the Inverse Care Law in 1971. Despite efforts to attract dentists to under-served areas with incentives such as 'deprivation payments', the playing field is still uphill because of the fundamental inequalities which exist in society itself Deep-seated cultural values which are accepting of a power difference between the 'haves' and 'have nots', and that emphasise individualism over collectivism, are hard to shift. The marketization of health care contributes, by reinforcing these values through the commodification of care, which stresses efficiency and the transactional aspects of service provision. In response, practitioners working in deprived areas develop 'scripts' of routines that deliver 'satisfactory care', which are in accord with the wishes of patients who place little value on oral health but which also maintain the viability of the practice as a business. A compliance framework contrasting types of organisational (dental practice) power (coercive, utilitarian, normative) with types of patient orientation (alienative, calculative, moral) identifies where certain combinations 'work' (e.g. normative power--moral orientation), but where others struggle. Thus institutional structures combine with patients' and the wider community's demands, to generate a model of dental care which leaves little scope for ongoing, preventive dental treatment. This means that in poor areas, all too often, not only is less care available, it is of lower quality too--just where it is needed most. J Mich Dent Assoc. 2016 May;98(5):34-6. ACCESS TO CARE: 12 Tips to Help You Treat Healthy Michigan Plan Patients. Knowles L. PMID:   27333699 [Indexed for MEDLINE] Early Hum Dev. 2017 Sep 9. pii: S0378-3782(17)30455-3. doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2017.09.009. [Epub ahead of print] Risk factors for dental problems: Recommendations for oral health in infancy. Wagner Y1, Heinrich-Weltzien R2. Author information Abstract Primary care providers, gynaecologists and paediatricians have to be aware of the importance of oral health in infancy and possible consequences for child's development, growth, health and quality of life. Oral diseases, particularly dental caries, developmental defects of the dental tissues and periodontal or orthodontic issues have a complex and interrelated aetiology with common, primarily behavioral based risk factors. A sugar-rich diet is the key risk factor with detrimental consequences for general and oral health, particularly in combination with an insufficient oral hygiene. Therefore, daily tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste and reducing of sugar intake are the key pillars to prevent oral diseases, including a positive effect on numerous chronic diseases. Future preventive approaches should focus on pregnant women and mothers of infants with a common vision of health and a shared responsibility for children's oral health care to promote healthy lifestyles and self-care practices in families. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V. KEYWORDS: Dental caries; Infant; Oral health; Prevention; Risk factors PMID:   28899616   DOI:   10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2017.09.009