Overcoming Obstacles to Dental Health


Book Description

"The overall purpose of this disease prevention program is to improve the oral health of individuals with special needs. This can be accomplished by using a number of methods, including minimizing the obstacles to a comfortable and effective oral hygiene session, which will lead to an increase in the individual's oral health and independence. When individuals with special needs have good oral health, it improves the quality of their lives as well as the quality of their caregivers lives. Although this program may be used directly with individuals with special needs, it is primarily designed to be presented to caregivers of individuals who need assistance improving their oral health. It can be used to help caregivers who work with a wide variety of individuals who encounter obstacles to effective oral health practices. These individuals may include persons with developmental disabilities, physical limitations, medical problems, and mental impairment, as well as elderly individuals" -- From trainer's manual.







The U.S. Oral Health Workforce in the Coming Decade


Book Description

Access to oral health services is a problem for all segments of the U.S. population, and especially problematic for vulnerable populations, such as rural and underserved populations. The many challenges to improving access to oral health services include the lack of coordination and integration among the oral health, public health, and medical health care systems; misaligned payment and education systems that focus on the treatment of dental disease rather than prevention; the lack of a robust evidence base for many dental procedures and workforce models; and regulatory barriers that prevent the exploration of alternative models of care. This volume, the summary of a three-day workshop, evaluates the sufficiency of the U.S. oral health workforce to consider three key questions: What is the current status of access to oral health services for the U.S. population? What workforce strategies hold promise to improve access to oral health services? How can policy makers, state and federal governments, and oral health care providers and practitioners improve the regulations and structure of the oral health care system to improve access to oral health services?




Oral Health Literacy


Book Description

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) Roundtable on Health Literacy focuses on bringing together leaders from the federal government, foundations, health plans, associations, and private companies to address challenges facing health literacy practice and research and to identify approaches to promote health literacy in both the public and private sectors. The roundtable serves to educate the public, press, and policy makers regarding the issues of health literacy, sponsoring workshops to discuss approaches to resolve health literacy challenges. It also builds partnerships to move the field of health literacy forward by translating research findings into practical strategies for implementation. The Roundtable held a workshop March 29, 2012, to explore the field of oral health literacy. The workshop was organized by an independent planning committee in accordance with the procedures of the National Academy of Sciences. The planning group was composed of Sharon Barrett, Benard P. Dreyer, Alice M. Horowitz, Clarence Pearson, and Rima Rudd. The role of the workshop planning committee was limited to planning the workshop. Unlike a consensus committee report, a workshop summary may not contain conclusions and recommendations, except as expressed by and attributed to individual presenters and participants. Therefore, the summary has been prepared by the workshop rapporteur as a factual summary of what occurred at the workshop.




Treatment Planning in Dentistry - E-Book


Book Description

This book provides essential knowledge for creating treatment plans for adult dental patients. Treatment planning strategies are presented to help with balancing the ideal with the practical, with emphasis placed on the central role of the patient — whose needs should drive the treatment planning process. The focus is on planning of treatment, not on the comprehensive details of every treatment modality in dentistry. CD-ROM bound into book presents five cases of varying difficulty with interactive exercises that allow users to plan treatment. What's the Evidence? boxes link clinical decision-making and treatment planning strategies to current research. In Clinical Practice boxes highlight specific clinical situations faced by the general dentist. Review Questions and Suggested Projects, located at the end of each chapter, summarize and reinforce important concepts presented in the book. Key Terms and Glossary highlights the terms that are most important to the reader. Suggested Readings lists included at the end of most chapters provide supplemental resources. Chapter on Treatment Planning for Smokers and Patients with Oral Cancer addresses the dentist's role in managing patients with oral cancer, recognizing oral cancer and differential diagnosis of oral lesions, planning treatment for patients undergoing cancer therapy, and smoking cessation strategies. Chapter on Treatment Planning for the Special Care/Special Needs Patient examines the role of the general dentist in the management of patients with a variety of conditions including physical handicaps, mental handicaps, head trauma, hemophilia, and patients' needs before, during, or after major surgery. Chapter on Treatment Planning for the Alcohol and Substance Abuser discusses the challenges of treating this patient population, as well as how to recognize the problem, delivery of care, scope of treatment, and behavioral/compliance issues. Expanded content on Ethical and Legal Issues in Treatment Planning reflects new accreditation guidelines. Dental Team Focus boxes highlight the relevance of chapter content to the dental team. Ethics Topics boxes emphasize the ethical topics found within each chapter. International Tooth Numbering is listed alongside the U.S. tooth numbers in examples and illustrations.




The Silent Epidemic


Book Description

American’s agree that dental health is important and vital to our overall wellbeing. However, not every American is achieving the same degree of oral health. Obstacles that American’s face include dental health disparities, limited access to affordable dental care, and limited access to dental insurance. This study examined how disease risk is shaped within the culture of oral health in Florida. This study examined those who provide dental care, those who cannot afford dental health insurance but earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid, and those with dental insurance. Hypotheses two and three were proven to be true, while hypotheses one and four were proven to be false. Research indicated that the participants believe that pleasingly aesthetic teeth are highly desirable. It revealed that the poor and working poor are unable to utilize dental health insurance, and do not seek annual preventive dental health services due to the cost.




Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations


Book Description

Access to oral health care is essential to promoting and maintaining overall health and well-being, yet only half of the population visits a dentist each year. Poor and minority children are less likely to have access to oral health care than are their nonpoor and nonminority peers. Older adults, people who live in rural areas, and disabled individuals, uniformly confront access barriers, regardless of their financial resources. The consequences of these disparities in access to oral health care can lead to a number of conditions including malnutrition, childhood speech problems, infections, diabetes, heart disease, and premature births. Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations examines the scope and consequences of inadequate access to oral health services in the United States and recommends ways to combat the economic, structural, geographic, and cultural factors that prevent access to regular, quality care. The report suggests changing funding and reimbursement for dental care; expanding the oral health work force by training doctors, nurses, and other nondental professionals to recognize risk for oral diseases; and revamping regulatory, educational, and administrative practices. It also recommends changes to incorporate oral health care into overall health care. These recommendations support the creation of a diverse workforce that is competent, compensated, and authorized to serve vulnerable and underserved populations across the life cycle. The recommendations provided in Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations will help direct the efforts of federal, state, and local government agencies; policy makers; health professionals in all fields; private and public health organizations; licensing and accreditation bodies; educational institutions; health care researchers; and philanthropic and advocacy organizations.




Early Childhood Oral Health


Book Description

Dental caries has been called a “silent epidemic” and is the most prevalent chronic disease affecting children. Though much has been written on the science and practice of managing this disease, publications are diverse in their loci, preventing easy access to the reader. Early Childhood Oral Health coalesces all the important information related to this topic in a comprehensive reference for students, academics, and practitioners. This second edition expands the scope of the first and puts an additional focus on interprofessional and global efforts that are necessary to manage the growing disease crisis and screening and risk assessment efforts that have expanded with the boom of new technologies. With updated references and incorporating the latest research, chapters address the biology and epidemiology of caries, the clinical management of early childhood caries, risk assessment, and early diagnosis. Other topics include public health approaches to managing caries worldwide, implementation of new caries prevention programs, fluoride regimens, and community programs, and family oral health education. Brand new are four chapters on the medical management of early childhood caries, considerations for children with special needs, interprofessional education and practice, and how the newest policy issues and the Affordable Care Act affect dental care. A must-read for pediatric dentists, cariologists, public health dentists, and students in these fields, Early Childhood Oral Health is also relevant for pediatricians and pediatric nursing specialists worldwide.




Behavioral Dentistry


Book Description

Behavioral Dentistry, Second Edition, surveys the vast and absorbing topic of the role of behavioral science in the study and clinical practice of dentistry. An understanding of social sciences has long been a central part of dental education, and essential for developing a clinician’s appreciation of human behavior as it affects efficient dental treatment. This book gathers together contributions from leading experts in each of the major subspecialties of behavioral dentistry. Its aim is not merely to provide the student and clinician with a comprehensive review of the impressive literature or discussion of the theoretical background to the subject, but also with a practical guide to adapting the latest techniques and protocols and applying them to day-to-day clinical practice. This second edition of Behavioral Dentistry discusses biobehavioral processes, including the psychobiology of inflammation and pain, oral health and quality of life, saliva health, and hypnosis in dentistry. The book goes on to examine anxiety, fear, and dental and chronic orofacial pain, and then reviews techniques for designing and managing behavior change. It concludes with a section on professional practice, including care of special needs, geriatric, and diabetic patients, and interpersonal communication in dental education.




Oral Healthcare and the Frail Elder


Book Description

Oral healthcare is an integral part of overall health and well-being, and it is a significant and increasing challenge as people grow frail. Incidence of caries and gingivitis among residents of long-term care facilities are on the rise, and daily oral hygiene is often difficult for patients who are frail or in need of assistance. Oral Healthcare and the Frail Elder: A Clinical Perspective provides dentists, dental hygienists, and other healthcare professionals with comprehensive, practical instruction on managing the multifaceted oral healthcare needs of frail elders. By discussing background information and relevant literature, the book provides a holistic approach to clinical issues such as oral pain, dry mouth, and periodontal disease. Edited by experts in the field, Oral Healthcare and the Frail Elder enhances clinical application with thorough reviews of pertinent social and ethical issues, access to care issues, and the practicalities for overcoming these in order to provide high-quality oral healthcare to an aging population.