January 2008 eNewsletter

Presidential Candidates' Health Care Proposals

Now that the results of the first primaries are known, and many other state primaries are scheduled to take place in the very near future, one of the major areas of interest for voters are the health care proposals of the presidential candidates. Take a look at side by side comparisons of each of the candidates' proposals.

Senator John Edwards responded to a questionnaire that Oral Health America and the Dental Health Foundation submitted to each of the candidates. He stated that his health care plan does include dental coverage. His answers to our questions are provided here.

NYAS Conference on Oral and Systemic Health Links a Resounding Success

Over 200 medical and dental practitioners, educators, researchers, and business leaders attended a symposium entitled From Basic Science to Clinical Practice and Policy: A Medical-Dental Dialogue on the Relationship between Periodontal Disease and Systemic Health at the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) on January 18. Conference proceedings will be available on the NYAS web site within six weeks. Inside Dentistry also covered the event for a forthcoming issue. Links will be provided at www.oralhealthamerica.org.

"The conference created a platform for the connection of oral and systemic health," says Robert Klaus, President and CEO of Oral Health America. "With the New York Academy of Sciences we now have an important new partner in the dissemination of ideas about the issue."

The event was jointly sponsored by Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, The New York Academy of Sciences and The National Periodontal Disease Coalition, and supported by Aetna Dental; Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals; Johnson and Johnson Oral Health Care Products; Oral Health America; and OraPharma, Inc.

Health Affairs Essay Calls for Greater Foundation Backing for Oral Health

Health foundations can be catalysts for improvement in oral health if they strategically increase their funding. In a GrantWatch essay in the January/February edition of Health Affairs, Shelly Gehshan, senior program director with the National Academy for State Health Policy, says the need for investments from grantmakers to spark innovation in the dental care system is great.

Although dental care tops the list of low-income children's unmet health needs, foundation funding devoted to oral health has been miniscule, compared with both the need and with total grant making, Gehshan explains in “Foundations' Role in Improving Oral Health: Nothing to Smile About.” She notes that in 2005, foundation giving for dental education and dental care was $55.6 million, or 1.6 percent of total health grant making.

Smiles Across America's Minnesota Coalition Expands Program to Duluth  

The Duluth Public School Board has approved the expansion of Smiles Across Minnesota into Duluth public elementary schools. The program will expand care and prevent tooth decay through the promotion of oral health prevention activities to low-income and uninsured children. The program will provide children ages 3 to 12 with preventive dental services – including cleanings, fluoride treatments and sealants – within the schools. These services will be offered to all students at participating schools and administered by Children's Dental Services. Uninsured students who are income-eligible will receive free care through the program.

“This is an efficient and effective model that will increase the accessibility of quality, preventive dental care for children,” states Dr. Keith Dixon, Superintendent of the Duluth Public Schools. “We hope to serve well over 1,000 children in the first year of offering this service to our families.”

Smiles Across Minnesota is funded in part by Delta Dental of Minnesota, Generations Health Care Initiatives, Northland Foundation, Patterson Foundation, Ronald McDonald House Charities, St. Louis County Public Health and Human Services, and United Way.

VIDEO NEWS: Take a look at what Smiles Across Minnesota is accomplishing in St. Paul. Click here to see a recent KARE TV, Channel 11 segment on school oral health care supported by Mayor Chris Coleman's Invest St. Paul initiative.

Two-thirds of States Get Poor Grades on School Food Report Card

Kentucky and Oregon top the nation in healthy school foods policies, but two-thirds of states have no or weak nutrition standards to limit junk-food and soda sales out of vending machines, school stores, and other venues outside of school meals, according to a school foods report card from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).

Fundraising Success for Smiles Across West Virginia

Oral Health America's Smiles Across America program partners in West Virginia are the recipients of two new grants to sustain and grow the program in 2008. Led by Richard Meckstroth, DDS, Professor and Chair, Department of Dental Practice and Rural Health, West Virginia University School of Dentistry, the Smiles Across West Virginia Coalition is the recipient of a two-year, $100,000 grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and a $10,000 grant from Delta Dental of West Virginia. Congratulations!

Taxing Soda to Fund Oral Health  

The Dental Health Foundation and the California Dental Association are organizing a coalition of states supportive of taxing sodas in order to fund oral health services. The coalition will convene via conference calls to build consensus around action and strategize effective ways to advocate for taxes or fees on sodas. To join the coalition, send an email to Brendan John at the Dental Health Foundation, bjohn@tdhf.org.

Colgate Joins Smiles Across America

Donated Colgate toothpaste will reach 30,000 families in 2008, thanks to a contribution from Colgate-Palmolive Co. to Oral Health America.

“Colgate's donation allows us to help community programs serving uninsured and underserved children,” said Sue Dodd, OHA's Director of Programs. “OHA's role is to deliver resources to communities served through Smiles Across America and our National Sealant Alliance, helping to ensure that their community and school dental programs are sustained. One of our key messages is the importance of brushing twice a day, and this donation helps families, and also supports the programs that serve them.”

Smiles Across America currently serves eight regions of the country, bringing technical assistance and resources to school oral health programs. The National Sealant Alliance provides donated dental materials, including dental sealants and fluoride varnish, to hundreds of community health programs nation wide. Together, the programs support services to over 90,000 children annually, and help communities respond to unmet oral health needs.

Record Sell Out for OHA Gala

Tables are now sold out for Oral Health America's 18th Annual Gala and Benefit on Thursday, February 21. "This is our first ever sellout crowd, with an anticipated record attendance of over 1,000 guests!" says Joseph Donohue, OHA's Manager of Development. The Gala is dentistry's premier networking and social event of the year, held on the eve of the Chicago Dental Society's Midwinter Meeting.

Donate Online Today!

Your contribution is matched dollar-for-dollar by DENTSPLY International, up to $100,000. Please consider donating through our secure online site, www.oralhealthamerica.org. Your donation will support our programs in communities across the country, and help us to raise awareness of oral health's importance to overall health.

Founded in 1955, Oral Health America is the nation’s premier, independent advocacy organization dedicated to improving oral health for all Americans. For more information, please send email correspondence to info@oralhealthamerica.org.

 Vol. 4, Issue 1, January 2008

Editor: Liz Rogers

Special thanks to Diana Saldana and Belmont Publications, Inc. for the design of this eNewsletter.