Oral Health

Some facts about Oral Health in Virginia:

• Of the 43 cities/counties that are full Health Professional Shortage Areas for Dental Care, 36 are rural.
• Children living in rural areas have more dental problems than children living in other areas, with 21% having untreated decay, 54% having decay experience, and 17% needing early or urgent care.
• Children living in rural areas are the least likely to have dental sealants, 46% compared to the statewide average of 49%. 
• Residents in the Southwest portion of the state have rates of edentulism (complete teeth loss) up to three times the state average of 5.4%. 
• Statewide, 80% of children enrolled in Virginia Early Head Start have never visited a dentist.

Efforts have been made to mitigate the oral health disparities. These include the VDH School Dental Sealant Program and the Dental Hygenist pilot in Southwest Virginia. But many questions still remain:

• How would an Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner be used in Virginia?
• Is there support for a Mid-level Dental Hygiene Practitioner in Virginia?
• Should the Dental Practice Act be modified to develop a Community Dental Health Coordinator position?
• What other alternatives are there to providing oral health care to the underserved populations?

Get your seat at the table! Help VRHA develop a strategic plan for rural oral health advocacy by attending the Oral Health discussion.

Moderator: Betsy Hagan

Panelists:

Terry D. Dickinson
Executive Director
Virginia Dental Association

Kim Isringhausen
Chair, Division of Dental Hygeine
VCU School of Dentistry

Elizabeth Berry, DDS, MSD, MPH
Assistant Professor, Pediatric Dentistry
VCU School of Dentistry

Day 1 - defining the issues

On the first day, participants had the opportunity to hear a panel discussion on each topic, but the focus was on sharing of information ideas and concerns.  They panelists only had a few minutes to speak, and then the participants were lead in a facilitated discussion to help them identify the top two issues on each topic. 

Day 2- finding solutions

While the first day identified issues, the second day was all about finding solutions.   Each of the top issues from the previous day was given its own discussion table.  Participants were asked to rotate between tables and asked a series of questions so that the issues may be considered from a variety of perspectives which would lead to constructive solutions.