Dental News - AGD asks for more improvements in children’s oral health

Fred Michmershuizen, DTA

Mon. 19 April 2010

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WASHINGTON/NEW YORK, USA: According to the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), more needs to be done to improve children’s oral health, as oral diseases negatively impact learning, interfere with eating and contribute to poor self-esteem.

AGD President David F. Halpern, DMD, FAGD, testified in the nation’s capital recently during the first meeting of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committee on Oral Health Initiative. During his testimony, Dr Halpern emphasized access to care and oral health literacy.

“Public schools have played a critical role in keeping our children healthy,” Dr Halpern said. “Schools routinely hold programs to ensure that our children can hear properly, see properly and are free from other diseases. However, dental diseases, the most prevalent of all, do not receive the same attention.”

Dr Halpern asked the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to consider mandating oral health programs in all public schools.

Additionally, Dr Halpern expressed his support for initiatives that ensure that minority and rural populations receive quality oral health care services from dentists. Such initiatives, he said, could include loan repayment programs to dentists working in community health and underserved settings, the restoration of Title VII, and patient transportation and non-dental social services programs.

Dr Halpern also spoke about the importance of shifting from a treatment-based concept of medicine to one based on prevention. He stated that this transformation can be achieved by assisting patients, physicians and communities to become oral health literate.

“Yes, the HHS must continue its water fluoridation programs as a fallback to maintain a minimal level of oral health in communities, but this is not nearly sufficient—utilization through greater oral health literacy is mandatory,” Dr Halpern said.

Dr Halpern also expressed his disappointment over the lack of a practicing private-practice dentist on the committee and encouraged the committee to reconsider appointing a general dentist from the private-practice community.

The AGD, founded in 1952, is a professional association of more than 35,000 general dentists dedicated to staying up to date in the profession through continuing education.

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