273356 Oral Health Access as a Leading Health Indicator: Maryland's Response in the Wake of a Tragedy

Wednesday, October 31, 2012 : 8:30 AM - 8:55 AM

Njeri Thuku, MA , Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Office of Oral Health, Baltimore, MD
While access to oral health care services has improved for low income populations in recent years, it still remains a major challenge for these groups. As such, oral health access is prominently addressed in the Healthy People (HP) 2020 Oral Health Objectives for the Nation and in 2012 has been identified as one of the nation's Leading Health Indicators (LHI). When a 12 year-old Maryland boy died from an untreated dental infection in 2007, a sense of urgency compelled Maryland to address access to oral health care services in a comprehensive manner. This presentation will highlight how a state responded to a crisis by developing a set of oral health care access reforms that honored the relevance of the HP 2020 Objectives and the oral health LHI.

Learning Areas:
Other professions or practice related to public health
Provision of health care to the public
Public health administration or related administration
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
Discuss the importance of oral health Identify the Healthy People 2020 Oral Health Access Objectives and the oral health Leading Health Indicator Discuss the implications of a Maryland child’s death due to oral disease Describe the oral health access reforms in Maryland Assess the progress Maryland is making in addressing the Healthy People 2020 Oral Health Objectives and the oral health Leading Health Indicator

Keywords: Oral Health, Access to Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I coordinate the oral disease prevention program and support the policy process through development of policy tools such as issue papers, concept papers and policy discussion papers. In addition, I monitor macro environmental trends in state level oral health policy including legislative, regulatory, administrative and other systemic sources of policy.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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