Our Berks County dentists, dental hygienists, pediatricians and nurses see firsthand how many young children have serious oral health issues.

Yet we also know it’s hard to navigate reimbursements rates and find the right support to provide the best care to our county’s young residents. Learn more below on how our staff and task force can help you.

To get started, read more about the Brush Up Berks campaign, and download the following overview documents [English, Spanish] which we created specifically for our county’s dental and medical professionals. Then, go ahead and share our print-ready guidelines [English, Spanish] with families of young children.

Resources:

• NEW: To support the integration of oral health care into primary care, the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center at Georgetown University is pleased to announce a new resource: “Integrating Oral Health Care into Primary Care: A Resource Guide.”
• NEW: The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC) published two new infographics in Spanish. “Preventive Dental Visits for Children and Adolescents Are Important!” and “Preventive Dental Visits for Pregnant Women Are Important!” are available to download for free.
• NEW: During the current COVID-19 pandemic, school nurses may be the only avenue for assuring that children receive oral health screenings and referrals. The Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) and the National Association of School Nurses have collaborated to develop resources for school nurses: “Considerations for School Nurses in Return to School: Dental Screenings” and “School Nurses: The Key to Good Oral Health During COVID-19 Infographic.”
• The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center at Georgetown University recently published “Fluoride Varnish and Silver Diamine Fluoride: A Resource Guide.” The guide provides descriptions of materials on data and surveillance, professional education and training, and public education. Click here to download the resource guide.
• In January 2020, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force posted a final research plan on screening and interventions to prevent dental caries in children younger than 5 years. The draft research plan was posted for public comment in September. The Task Force reviewed all of the comments and took them into consideration.
• The Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC) released “Promoting Oral Health During Pregnancy: Update on Activities” in December 2019. This is the seventh in a series of updates to highlight national, state, and local activities focusing on oral health care for pregnant women. The update includes briefs, guides, handouts, reports, toolkits, and trainings for health professionals and consumers.
• Oral Health Prevention Primer: The American Academy of Pediatrics announced on October 7, 2019 the publication of the Oral Health Prevention Primer, an interactive online resource for pediatricians and providers who want to do more to address the oral health needs of children. Pediatricians and other non-dental professionals play a vital role in promoting children’s oral health and preventing unnecessary disease. This resource will help providers working with children to understand the roles of various oral health allies, how they can collaborate, ways to provide oral health services, and how to advocate to achieve optimal oral health for their community with the goal of preventing dental disease before it starts.
• U.S. Oral Health System is Failing, But Americans Know How to Fix It: On September 23, 2019, DentaQuest released Reversible Decay: Oral Health is a Public Health Problem We Can Solve, a research report that provides a unique 360-degree view of the current state of oral health in America and spans 5 critical stakeholder groups: dentists, physicians, patients, employers and Medicaid dental administrators.
• Critical Conversation: On September 24, 2019, DentaQuest presented the panel discussion America’s Oral Health: An Emerging Crisis. This was produced in partnership with POLITICO.
• Opioids and Pain Management: The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center released a new resource: Opioids and Children and Adolescents: Information for Oral Health Professionals. The document provides best practices for care on drugs to recommend before prescribing opioids with caution and being aware of the potential for misuse or abuse.
• Nutrition Counseling for Obesity Prevention in Children: A Handbook for the Dental Community: The free handbook serves to increase the knowledge and skills of students in childhood obesity prevention, healthy nutrition, and dietary counseling.

Dental news and views:

• NEW: In October, 2020, Pennsylvania Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine released the Pennsylvania Oral Health Plan 2020-2030, a 10-year roadmap to improve the oral health of all Pennsylvanians. Read more at bctv.org.
• On January 22, 2020, the ASTDD Dental Public Health Policy Committee released a new policy statement on “Reducing Emergency Department Utilization for Non-Traumatic Dental Conditions.” Seeking care in emergency departments for non-traumatic dental conditions has increased substantially in recent years. Reported barriers to oral health care include misdistribution of dentists in rural areas and the cost of dental treatment. Click here to read the statement.
• Dental infections in kids tied to heart disease risk in adulthood
• Study shows young people often prescribed opioids by dentists
• White House, Congress focus on improving access to dental care

Linkages between oral health, overall health and reduced costs:

• Oral Health is Key to Overall Health, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)
• Billions with oral disease: A global health crisis—a call to action; The Journal of the American Dental Association

For OB/GYN practices and other medical providers who support pregnant women and new parents:

• New brief urges action to prioritize pregnant women’s oral health; Children’s Dental Health Project
• Protect Tiny Teeth Toolkit; American Association of Pediatrics
• Improving Oral Health Outcomes from Pregnancy through Infancy; Journal of Dental Hygiene
• Why Oral Health Matters for Pregnant Women; Children’s Dental Health Project (Additional infographics available here [English, Spanish].)

Interested in training your dental or medical staff on how to treat young children? Contact Monica Reyes at monicar@bccf.org or call Berks County Community Foundation at 610-685-2223 to learn about available training.