Native Oral Health Network

Looking for a way to stay engaged with the Oklahoma Partnerships for Dental Access? Join the Native Oral Health Network at https://buff.ly/3SUtroO!

Today's guest blog comes from Ren Reyes, President of the OKLAHOMA DENTAL HYGIENISTS ASSOCIATION! Ren discusses the importance of nurturing oral health behaviors and empowering parents to instill positive dental health habits and attitudes through education. Read more here https://buff.ly/4bMNwF6

We are looking forward to more collaborative conversations with you in efforts to address gaps in access to dental care for Oklahoman children. What are some ways you plan to stay engaged with this work?

Most of Oklahoma is designated as a dental health provider shortage area. Several states have addressed shortage areas through the inclusion of dental therapists on their dental teams. Dental therapists are providers who work within the dental team under the supervision of their dentist and perform routine treatment for patients such as fillings, temporary crown placements, and simple extractions. While dental therapists are able to work on these procedures, dentists are able to perform more complex treatments. With the additional team member, more patients are able to be treated and the dental team is better supported with the additional help. https://buff.ly/3I36dGU

Let's start some discussions on how to tackle barriers to oral health care through expanding and diversifying the dental workforce. Also, be sure to check out our featured Guest Blog today! Dr. Jandra Korb, D.D.S. from DentaQuest discusses how diversifying the dental workforce and address the widening gap in oral health care for Oklahomans. https://buff.ly/3uFcupf

Nearly 1 in 4 Oklahomans live in Dental Health Provider Shortage Areas. Current projections estimate the growth of the dentist workforce will not meet the needs in Oklahoma by 2025. As we see our children experiencing a lack of access to care, one area of focus may be on expanding the dental team through expanded function dental assistants and dental therapists.

There are great organizations around Oklahoma working diligently to address food insecurity that many children face. Now is a time for collaboration with these great organizations to also connect children to oral health resources and tools so they can maintain health behaviors without worrying about their next meal. Let’s brainstorm! What are some ways we can address food insecurity and oral health disparities among Oklahoma children? How can organizations collaborate to provide students with meals and oral health resources and tools?

To round out our discussions today about food insecurity and oral health, check out our Guest Blog from Joe Dorman, Executive Director at the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy! https://buff.ly/3I5NbQj

Connecting physical health and dental health is a great way to bridge the gap in access to dental care for children in Oklahoma. Today, we’d like to highlight the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic and their Integrated Dental Hygienists. American Indian/Alaska Native children ages 2-4 are 5 times more likely to experience tooth decay compared to children in the general US population. To address this disparity, the OKCIC introduced their Integrated Dental Hygienist Program. During well-child visits at their primary care clinic, children are also able to receive a dental screening from the dental clinic’s hygienists. These hygienists check for plaque, gingival health, decay, and sealants while also providing children with topical fluoride treatments. If the children haven’t set up a dental appointment with the clinic, the hygienists are able to work with the parents to schedule an appointment with the dental clinic. The results of this innovative solution can’t be understated. So far, there have been over 2,000 patients that have received oral hygiene education, nearly 2,000 patients have received oral health screenings, over 1,600 fluoride varnish applications have been administered, over 2,500 pediatric dental visits have been scheduled, and there has been a 5% reduction in early childhood caries! Great job Oklahoma City Indian Clinic! Read more about their accomplishments here https://buff.ly/3SKkqNS

A great way to meet the oral health needs of Oklahoma’s children is through the integration of primary care and dental care. Through this solution, children are able to connect the health of their mouth to their overall health while also receiving preventative treatments and screenings from their trusted providers. Collaboration between pediatricians and pediatric dentists also provides a more well-rounded health care experience for our children.