Dental News - Experts say a dental public health infrastructure is needed in California

Dental Tribune USA

Mon. 23 January 2012

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SACREMENTO, Calif., USA: The January issue of the Journal of the California Dental Association continues to examine issues relating to the dental workforce and addressing barriers to oral health care by featuring CDA-commissioned studies that helped shape the recommendations made in the three-phase access report filed by the 2011 CDA House of Delegates.

“Central to the access proposal is the need to develop a dental public health infrastructure in California,” said Kerry Carney, DDS, editor-in-chief of the Journal.

The article, titled “California’s State Oral Health Infrastructure: Opportunities for Improvement and Funding,” details the benefits of a dental public health infrastructure and documents lost opportunities in California and lessons learned from states with successful state oral health programs. The article explains that sustainable changes to oral health programs must be supported at the highest levels of state government.

This issue additionally features an article titled “Advanced Dental Education Programs: Status and Implications for Access to Care in California,” which provides a comprehensive exploration of dental residency programs and describes the history, funding, opportunities and challenges of advanced dental education programs for general dentists.

Also included in the January Journal is a comprehensive literature review, titled “Are Procedures Performed by Dental Auxiliaries Safe and of Comparable Quality? A Systematic Review,” that evaluates the safety and quality of irreversible dental procedures performed by nondentist providers worldwide.

“Economic Feasibility of Alternative Practitioners for Provision of Dental Care to the Underserved” assesses the viability of alternative practitioner models for dental therapists, dental health aide therapists, and advanced dental hygiene practitioners, for provision of dental care to the underserved.

“I believe that an evidence-based approach to these issues and a robust discussion by the profession will be positive for both the profession and the public,” said Carney.

The discussion will continue in CDA’s March issue of the Journal, which will also focus on access to care and feature articles on the remaining studies.

 The California Dental Association is the non-profit organization representing organized dentistry in California. Founded in 1870, CDA is committed to the success of its members in service to their patients and the public. CDA also contributes to the oral health of Californians through various comprehensive programs and advocacy. CDA’s membership consists of more than 25,000 dentists, making it the largest constituent of the American Dental Association.

(Source: CDA)

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