Abstract
Truth decay and tooth decay: Behavioral health and community water fluoridation
Tooka Zokaie
El Dorado Hills, CA
APHA 2024 Annual Meeting and Expo
The benefits and safety of community water fluoridation (CWF) are well established with over eight decades of research. Yet, public health infrastructure faces a challenge in addressing misinformation and fostering trust. Understanding individual decision-making can offer clues for why some people in our communities are not comfortable with public health programs. A review of recent data shows the role of dental care providers as trusted leaders in health information in a culture of doubt. There are resources available for public health champions to build trust in CWF by learning the history of CWF research, addressing concerns about drinking public water, and integrating toolkits to build health literacy and confidence with personal health decision-making. Public health professionals can build trust in their communities by sharing the safety and benefits of community water fluoridation. Recent initiatives and resources in California highlight how community connections increase trust in public health programs, including CWF.
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs Advocacy for health and health education Communication and informatics Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs Public health or related public policy Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health
Abstract
A century of "TMJ" - a playbook on misinformation and disinformation
Sujay Mehta, DMD, MPH
Vancouver, BC, Canada
APHA 2024 Annual Meeting and Expo
Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are an overarching umbrella term for musculoskeletal orofacial pains. This historical review from Costen in the early 20th century to current clinical practices reinforces the need for collaboration with disciplines including public health.
Despite good intentions of healthcare providers, multiple factors and challenges in education, diagnosis, access to care, research as well as a reluctance to embrace published advances in the scientific literature have led to inappropriate treatments with various concerns raised to the public’s health.
Past attempts to understand musculoskeletal orofacial pains have struggled with poor scientific methods based on case reports from the 1930s. Dental focus has been limited to concepts on occlusal relationships, condylar positions and functional guidance with professional education and treatment limited to addressing the occlusion and bite. Lack of education and training to differentiate various types of orofacial pains with treatment limited to one model focused on addressing the teeth fails to recognize advances in pain sciences.
Education and clinical practice have not advanced compared to progress in research. The evidence-based literature is unable to support current clinical practices focused on irreversible treatments for the management of musculoskeletal orofacial pains. Continuing professional dental education courses sponsored by corporate entities should be consistent with guidelines and recommendations taught at CODA approved orofacial pain residency programs.
Multiple clinical guidelines recommend conservative and reversible management for orofacial pain. TMD suffers from challenges in assessment, policy and assurance which requires a public health lens to address a century of misinformation.
Advocacy for health and health education Ethics, professional and legal requirements Provision of health care to the public Public health or related education Public health or related public policy
Abstract
Dental public health collaborative to improve education and awareness of sexually transmitted diseases in the oral cavity
Karl Minges, Ph.D., MPH, Marie Paulis, RDH, MSDH, Hailey Ortiz, RDH, Jamie Luckhardt, MPH, Reyusha Chalise, BSPH and Karthik Madhaven, BSDS
University of New Haven, West Haven, CT
APHA 2024 Annual Meeting and Expo
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are among the most common communicable diseases in the United States. Incidence of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis is on the rise, particularly among young adults of diverse race/ethnicity. Multiple studies demonstrate that education surrounding the signs, symptoms, and treatment of STIs and STDs is greatly lacking in the United States. It is important that dental professionals not shy away from STDs and STIs in practice as their signs and symptoms frequently manifest in the oral cavity. Funded by the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, public health and dental hygiene faculty and students authored created open educational resources related to STD and STI education. Utilizing the CDC’s National STD Curriculum and other sources, along with community-based participatory research efforts, we developed a website and printed material that houses written protocols and videos to assist dental professionals, especially those in public health settings serving vulnerable populations, to efficiently incorporate an STD and STI recognition and referral program into their own oral healthcare settings. Specifically, these resources will assist dental professionals to recognize the physical signs of STDs and STIs; understand the statistics surrounding their prevalence among various populations; learn how to destigmatize the conversation surrounding STDs and STIs; and identify appropriate and affordable client referral sources for treatment and counseling. In addition, resources were provided to assist with advocating for underserved populations in need of financial assistance and insurance coverage to finance the necessary counseling and treatment for STDs and STIs.
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs Advocacy for health and health education Assessment of individual and community needs for health education Communication and informatics Protection of the public in relation to communicable diseases including prevention or control
Abstract
Building trust within oral health workforce and with other health professions
Emilia Istrate, Ph.D.
ADEA, Washington, DC
APHA 2024 Annual Meeting and Expo
The integration of oral health care and primary health care is vital to improving overall health, including public health. Training and educating future health professionals to work across disciplines is part of this integration process. The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) conducts an exit survey of the predoctoral oral health senior students at U.S. dental schools annually. Based on the 2019 and 2024 survey results, this research investigates to what extent have predoctoral oral health students’ educational activities with other health professions students and other oral health professions students changed over the past five years. The analysis will identify the health professions with whom the predoctoral oral health students interacted the most during their doctoral degree and the most frequent type of learning experiences they had together (classroom, preclinical, clinical, research, and volunteer activities). This presentation will also present the students’ perspective on the importance of inter- and inter-professional education activities to better understand their roles in caring for the oral health of patients, based on their experience in dental school. Finally, this research looks into the predoctoral oral health students’ interest in oral public health as expressed by their choice of applying to oral public health advanced education and following a career as a dentist in a not-for-profit or government agency. All the results will be presented for the graduating class of 2024 response group relative to the survey participants from the 2019 graduating class.
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs Advocacy for health and health education Other professions or practice related to public health Public health or related education