Thank you for your interest in joining the Oral Health Section as a presenter for APHA 2024! This year's meeting will be in Minneapolis, Minnesota with an annual meeting theme of "Rebuilding Trust in Public Health and Science".

Listed below are suggested but not exhaustive topics of interest for the 2024 Oral Health Section scientific program. We welcome any abstracts pertinent to oral health and dental public health.

• Addressing Social Determinants of Health in an Oral Health Setting
• Community-Based Oral Health Innovations (think: minimally invasive dentistry, medical-dental integration, teledentistry, etc.)
• Finding Our North Star: Minnesota Oral Health
• Integrated Behavioral Health: Mental Health & Substance Use
• Oral Health Payment and Policy Innovation (think: Medicaid, Medicare, Coverage, Access)
• A Whole New World: Global Oral Health Workforce Innovation
• Oral Health and Hesitancy: Addressing Misinformation and Disinformation (think: TMJ disorder treatment, dental amalgam, drinking water, vaccination)
• Population Oral Health Equity (think: community water fluoridation, built environment, Healthy People 2030)
• Value-Based Care and Oral Health Advocacy (think: ageism, SDF, dental sealants)
• Other Timely Topics in Dental Public Health

Abstracts will be selected through a rated peer-review process according to significance, timeliness, and overall quality.

• A Whole New World: Global Oral Health Workforce Innovation
  
• Addictive Substances and Oral Health (Collaborative Session with ATOD)
  Submissions under this category may include research, education, interventions, and interprofessional programs across a wide range of addictive substances and their oral health impacts. These may include (but are not limited to) opioids, buprenorphine, e-cigarettes, tobacco products, and alcohol.
• Addressing Social Determinants of Health in an Oral Health Setting
  
• Community-Based Oral Health Innovations (think: minimally invasive dentistry, medical-dental integration, teledentistry, etc.)
  
• Finding Our North Star: Minnesota Oral Health
  With APHA 2024 in Minneapolis, the oral health section is creating a special call for projects, programs, and initiatives within "The North Star State". Submissions should include oral health programs, data, and work within Minnesota.
• Oral Health Payment and Policy Innovation (think: Medicaid, Medicare, Coverage, Access)
  
• Oral Health and Hesitancy: Addressing Misinformation and Disinformation (think: TMJ disorder treatment, dental amalgam, drinking water, vaccination)
  
• Population Oral Health Equity (think: community water fluoridation, built environment, Healthy People 2030)
  
• Value-Based Care and Oral Health Advocacy (think: ageism, SDF, dental sealants)
  
• Other Timely Topics in Dental Public Health
  

Scientific Session Formats

•  Oral Session: Typically there are 4 different presentations grouped by theme or session topic. Each presenter has roughly 15 minutes to present, followed by joint Q&A for all presenters. Only one author per accepted abstract may present. The oral sessions are 90 minutes in length.
•  “Special Topic Session” designation is reserved for those individuals or organized groups who are submitting 3-4 contributed abstracts for an oral presentation session on a specific topic. Please contact the Oral Health Section program planners (contact information below) if you plan to submit abstracts in conjunction with other colleagues for a "Special Topic Session." Each abstract will be independently reviewed and rated and we are unable to guarantee that these session requests will be accommodated.
• "Collaborative Sessions" are co-sponsored with other sections, special interest groups, or caucuses and are typically encouraged. The two 2023 collaborative sessions were with the International Health Section and Food & Nutrition Section.
• Poster Sessions: Poster sessions will take place in the Expo Hall and the presenter should be available for the duration of the 60-minute session. 

****

Please also note the following prior to your submission:

• If accepted, only one author may present.

• Abstracts should be no more than 250 words.

• Presenters must be individual members of APHA, and register for the meeting in order to present. However, you need not be an active member at the time of abstract submission.

• Authors must provide complete and accurate contact information to be notified of abstract status and respond to other inquiries regarding their abstract.

• Accepted abstracts may not be presented at any other meeting or published in any journal prior to the APHA Annual Meeting.

• All abstract submissions must adhere to APHA criteria (please see below "Continuing Education Credit").

****

QUESTIONS? Please contact the Oral Health Section program planners, Tooka Zokaie (ztooka@gmail.com) and Sujay Mehta (drmehtadmd@icloud.com).

****

Technology-based/Technology-dependent Presentations

If your presentation is dependent on additional technology (i.e., internet, video projection) do not submit to a Section, SPIG, Caucus or Forum. Submit your presentation to the Health Informatics Information Technology Theater (HIIT) Center. The HIIT Center is an environment for live presentations of information and computer technology applications for public health. The meeting room is equipped with Internet access, and theater-quality video projection and stereo audio. For more information and detailed requirements click on the program below. (Please note there are a very limited number of openings environment).

****

Continuing Education Credit

The APHA Oral Health Section has partnered with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Oral Health Section to offer Continuing Dental Education (CDE) at this year's event. However, APHA requires that abstracts be submitted with the quality consistent with continuing education standards. Please complete all required information when submitting an abstract so members can claim credit for attending your session, whether it is provided by APHA, at large, or by a specific section. These credits are necessary for members to keep their licenses and credentials. For a session to be eligible for Continuing Education Credit, each presenter, panelist, discussant, and/or faculty must provide:

1) An abstract free of trade and/or commercial product names.
2) At least one MEASURABLE SINGLE objective (“to understand” or “to learn” are not measurable objectives and compound objectives are not acceptable). Use ONLY the following Measurable Action Verbs: Explain, Demonstrate, Analyze, Formulate, Discuss, Compare, Differentiate, Describe, Name, Assess, Evaluate, Identify, Design, Define or List.
3) A signed Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form with a relevant qualification statement. Example of Acceptable Biographical Qualification Statement: "I have been the principal or co-principal of multiple federally funded grants focusing on the epidemiology of drug abuse, HIV prevention and co-occurring mental and drug use disorders. Among my scientific interests has been the development of strategies for preventing HIV and STDs in out-of-treatment drug users." Please note that stating “I am a Principal Investigator/Project Coordinator of this project,” is not sufficient since it only gives submitter's job title or position. Please add slightly more information about your experience and/or background.
4) All continuing education learning content must be of sound science or professional practice and serve to maintain, develop, or increase the knowledge, skills and professional competence of the health professional. Learning content should be evidence-based if available. A list of over 30 areas will be provided online for you to choose from. You will be asked to choose at least one or up to 6 areas that your presentation will address.

Thank you for your assistance in making your session credit worthy. 

---

Ready?

Program Planner Contact Information:

Sujay Mehta, DMD, MPH
drmehtadmd@icloud.com


and

Tooka Zokaie,
ztooka@gmail.com