CORRECTION: In the news release, ADA Launches Community Dental Health Coordinator Pilot Program at Temple University, issued 24-Nov-2009 by American Dental Association over PR Newswire, we are advised by the organization that the ninth paragraph, second sentence, should read “Salish Kootenai College in Montana” rather than “in Wyoming” as originally issued inadvertently. The complete, corrected release follows

ADA Launches Community Dental Health Coordinator Pilot Program at Temple University

CHICAGO, Nov. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The American Dental Association (ADA) has signed an agreement with Temple University to train new dental team members as part of a pilot program to improve the oral health in underserved communities.

The Community Dental Health Coordinator (CDHC) is a member of the dental health team who works in communities where residents have limited access to dental care to improve their oral health.

The CDHC provides a limited range of preventive dental care services — including screenings and fluoride treatments. However, of greater importance to these communities, the CDHC will help patients navigate the health system and access care by a dentist or an appropriate clinic and engage in educational activities to improve community members’ oral health habits.

Temple will recruit and train CDHCs from urban locations in Philadelphia over the next two years, returning them to their communities to work as dental team members under the supervision of dentists.

Although the CDHC is a new dental team member whose merits are not yet known, many studies of the community health worker (CHW) model indicate that they can make significant contributions to a community. Because the CDHC will function much like a CHW, the ADA believes that they, too, will have a positive impact on the oral health of their communities through education and outreach.

“We are delighted to welcome Temple’s participation,” said ADA President Dr. Ron Tankersley. “The pilot at Temple will help us understand the effectiveness of a dental health coordinator in underserved urban settings.”

Dr. Amid Ismail, dean of Temple University’s Kornberg School of Dentistry and one of the architects of the CDHC program, explained why the program is seeking to place CDHC trainees in their own communities.

“Our aim is to ensure that the coordinator is able to bridge the gap between local cultures and health care systems. The CDHC can help improve people’s oral health habits and help patients navigate the social and bureaucratic barriers that prevent them from gaining access to available dental health services,” Dr. Ismail said.

Temple is the third of three pilot CDHC program sites. Two other pilot programs are directed by University of Oklahoma, which is training CDHCs from rural areas, and the University of California at Los Angeles, which, in conjunction with Salish Kootenai College in Montana, is training students from American Indian communities.

The ADA has funded the program, which will train six students per site each year.

About the American Dental Association

The not-for-profit ADA is the nation’s largest dental association, representing more than 157,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public’s health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA’s state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The monthly Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) is the ADA’s flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit the Association’s Web site at www.ada.org.

SOURCE American Dental Association

Credit: American Dental Association

Health Reform Bill unveiled in Senate yesterday contains key provisions to provide unprecedented oral health resources for all Americans

Children’s Dental Health Project

Meg Booth, 202-441-0299

Logo: http://www.cdhp.org

The Children’s Dental Health Project (CDHP) today applauded the U.S. Senate for recognizing the importance of oral health with the introduction of its health reform bill. Unveiled last night, the Senate’s bill includes a historic commitment to strengthen oral health among the nation’s vulnerable populations, and is a major step toward matching public resources to counter the “silent epidemic” of poor oral health among America’s children that was the subject of a warning from the U.S. Surgeon General more than a decade ago.

“The Senate has taken a historic step toward safeguarding the oral health of millions of Americans,” said CDHP chair and founder Dr. Burt Edelstein. “From prevention and treatment to more effective use of data and workforce development, the Senate’s health care reform bill is a strong commitment to children and other populations who are most vulnerable to dental disease. In particular, Senator Jeff Bingaman, in addition to Senators Snowe, Rockefeller, Dodd, and Reid have been champions for provisions in this bill that have the potential to improve dental health for children and families across the nation.”

The Senate bill includes the following oral health care measures:

– Expanded coverage. Insurance coverage for pediatric oral health services and eligibility for preventive oral health services without co-payments.

– Prevention. Dental disease prevention initiatives including public education, school-based sealant programs in all 50 states, and research grants for dental caries management.

– Tracking and monitoring. Resources for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other organizations that track of oral health and the use of dental services among pregnant women and other vulnerable populations.

– Workforce development. Expanded training programs and education resources for general, pediatric and public health dentists and those who train and educate future dental caregivers in rural areas and among underserved populations; and demonstration grants for alternative dental health providers.

– Safety net improvements. Initiatives to provide more access to care including federally-funded school-based health centers and creation of a commission to study oral healthcare workforce capacity.

– Infrastructure improvements. Public health infrastructure improvements in the states to bolster public oral health programs, including CDC authorization to establish oral health leadership and program guidance, oral health data collection and interpretation, a multi-dimensional delivery system for oral health, and science-based programs to improve oral health.

The House’s health care reform bill passed earlier this month contains many of the same measures, which Edelstein said points to a bicameral commitment to improving oral health.

“As the bill moves toward passage in the Senate and a conference with the U.S. House, it is vital to preserve these provisions,” said Edelstein. “We are confident that members of the House and Senate will remain steadfast in their commitment to oral health and will work together to ensure that the oral health measures contained in this legislation remain strong.”

About the Children’s Dental Health Project:

The Children’s Dental Health Project advances policies that improve children’s access to oral health through research-driven policies and innovative solutions by engaging a broad base of partners committed to children and oral health. For additional information please visit, www.cdhp.org.

-Monongalia County School’s Board of Education has tabled changes to the dental insurance plan until more research can be done.

The BOE made its decision Tuesday, after it received more information about possible changes.

The members learned about joining a Preferred Provider Organization, updating the policy and changing to a usual and customary rate.

But BOE President Nancy Walker said they wanted to have the whole policy reviewed, instead of making changes over of several months.

“I’d prefer to do this once and not come back,” she said.

Walker said she would like to see the exact plan before making any changes. She has also spoken to her dentist and several procedures the plan covers are outdated.

Walker said she wants board members to look at what exactly they are covering.

The discussion comes on the heels of a board vote to reverse changes made to the dental plan.

On Sept. 22, the board approved changing the way dentists made charges.

The vote was not on the agenda and was brought up during discussion of increasing benefits in the employees’ vision plan.

Employees receive a $1,500 allotment for their dental coverage, Superintendent Frank Devono said.

For example, if an employee receives a teeth cleaning that costs $100, he or she would have $1,400 to pay for other procedures.

Amber Zackery, co-president of the Monongalia County Education Association, said she was happy the board said it made a mistake and rescinded the vote.

She thought that vote overshadowed the good news about the increase in optical benefits approved at the same meeting.

The organization is going to try to work with the administration to determine the best benefit plan for its employees, Zackery said.

She said she doesn’t oppose changes to any insurance package, as long as it benefits the workers.

The board was informed of two possible changes it could make. The first was switching to a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO).

With the switch, there would be no coverage changes and enrollees could visit any doctor, said Robyn Dilley, of American Benefits, administrator for the board’s policy. But employees who visit a dentist in the organization would receive a discount on the procedure’s costs.

The board decided against joining any organization without more research.

It also learned about usual and customary rate. Dentists are surveyed about a procedure’s cost and a maximum amount set that the insurance would pay for a procedure.

The patient would pick up any costs over the rate.

Of the more than 10,000 preventive care claims in the past year, Dilley said, more than 3,000 would have been over the rate.

But nearly 2,400 were $10 or less over the rate. She said many dentists don’t bill that small of an amount because it isn’t worth the time to recoup the money.

Devono said if they do make changes, board members would like to use the savings to improve the dental plan, either by increasing an employee’s allotment or by offering coverage on different procedures.

Board member Barbara Parsons said she would like them to look at their insurance policies every year to see if they need updating or changing.

“This isn’t something you can do overnight,” she said.

Credit: The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.

It has been a busy time for education recently. The Renal Care Skills set for ENs I spoke about in my August column has been endorsed by the National Quality Council and is now available through the Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council (CSHISC). You can find out who will be delivering it by contacting your State/Territory Training Authority.

I was recently invited to participate on another Industry reference group for the CSHISC to explore the impact of oral health on the Australian population. Like many of you, I’m sure, I don’t really like dentists very much but there I was in a room filled with dentists and dental hygienists discussing the state of Australians teeth and mouths. I found myself subconsciously doing a check. When was the last time I went to the dentist; do my teeth look ok; and should I excuse myself and give them another clean?

Seriously though, it was a very interesting group that led to quite an informative discussion around oral health and its impact on Australians from young children through to the elderly population. Did you know that dental caries are the second most costly diet-related disease in Australia, comparable to the economic impact of heart disease and diabetes? As nurses we know that oral diseases cause a substantial amount of pain and can impact heavily on a person’s quality of life.

Nurses and midwives are being asked to be part of an alternative workforce to assist the oral health care workforce to address an increasing demand for oral health care services as we care for people from birth to death. All nurses, including child and maternal health nurses, midwives, community health nurses, nurse practioners, mental health nurses and Al Ns already play a very important role in the care of Australians oral health and through this project it is anticipated we will have a much bigger impact on our patients’ oral health. I will keep you posted on the progress of this important project.

Just a quick reminder that our new ‘Asthma Management’ tutorial is FREE to members for the month of November and also please keep the feedback coming. I do love hearing from you all.

Birner Dental Management Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:BDMS), operators of PERFECT TEETH dental practices, will conduct a conference call to review third quarter 2009 results. In addition to third quarter results, the teleconference may include discussion of management’s expectations of future financial and operating results. The call will be held on Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. MT.

Dial in to 1-866-253-6509; refer to Birner Dental Management Services, Inc. approximately five minutes prior to the scheduled time. Please put this on your calendar and plan on joining us for this call. If you are unable to join us on November 12, the rebroadcast number is 1-888-266-2081 with pass code 1409015; which will be available through November 26, 2009.

Birner Dental Management Services, Inc. acquires, develops, and manages geographically dense dental practice networks in select markets in Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. The Company currently manages 62 dental offices, which operate under the PERFECT TEETH name.

Keywords: Birner Dental Management Services, Inc., Birner Dental Management Services, Inc., Finance, Financial, Investing, Investment, Birner Dental Management Services Inc., Finance, Financial, Investing, Investment

This article was prepared by Investment Weekly News editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Investment Weekly News via VerticalNews.com.

Proctor & Gamble’s ongoing research indicates that nine out of ten children in the GCC region have decayed, missing or filled teeth. These statistics are extremely high compared to Europe indicating that dental hygiene and oral health is a topic that needs to be addressed. Mohammed Azzawe, Brand Manager for Crest & Oral-B at Proctor & Gamble Arabian Peninsula talks about the latest dental hygiene technologies developed to improve oral hygiene in the Middle East. These technologies will be showcased at the region’s largest dentistry event, Dentistry 2009, held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from 10 to 12 of November 2009.

At this year’s event, Oral-B will be exhibiting a new range of toothbrushes with Anti-Bacterial Bristle Protection, a technology which inhibits bacterial growth on bristles for up to three months. The new Oral-B Expert toothbrushes with Anti-Bacterial Bristle Protection use silver ion technology – a silver additive that is known to have antimicrobial properties. This allows for controlled silver-ion release and the constant introduction of new silver containing particles as the bristles wear during normal use. Silver ions are common antimicrobial agents and are used in a variety of different consumer and medical products.

Mr Azzawe believes Oral-B’s new technology will go along way to improving oral hygiene.

“Bacteria lives everywhere and in particular it grows on wet brushes after they have been used. Oral-B’s new technology helps to keep your brush clean and effective keeping acid erosion and cavities at bay.”

Oral-B works with dental professionals around the globe to develop products that are clinically proven to remove the most plaque and to promote oral hygiene. By showcasing this latest technology at Dentistry 2009, Oral-B will ensure that practitioners in the Middle East are aware of the most technologically advanced dental products and will be able to recommend the use of these products to their patients, saving time, money and unnecessary trips to the dentist.

“There will also be a corner devoted to Crest Expert Gum Protection, a new advanced toothpaste technology that shows improved product benefits that specifically addresses areas dentists care about enamel, gums and sensitivity,” says Mr Azzawe. “The toothpaste contains stannous fluoride which strengthens the enamel, in addition to reducing gum inflammation and tooth sensitivity. The formula is made novel with the addition of Sodium Hexa Meta Phosphate (SHMP) which protects teeth against staining.

“Dentistry 2009 is organised by IIR Middle East Life Sciences Division, the same organisation who brought the Arab Health Exhibition and Congress to Dubai. Oral-B associates itself with leading organisers in order to reach out to the industry professionals who attend an important meeting like this.” 2009 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

Halloween would not be Halloween without candy and sweets, but it is important to remember that the threat of cavities and tooth decay never takes a break. It is unrealistic for parents to expect their children not to indulge a little this time of year, but there are several tips the California Dental Association recommends to promote good oral health now and through the year.

– Offer healthier alternatives to candy – This does not have to mean

carrot sticks and toothbrushes, but treats sweetened with ‘xylitol,’ a

natural sugar substitute, help prevent plaque build up on teeth.

Offering sugar-free gum after eating candy is a great way to fight the

bacteria that causes tooth decay and the chewing motion also stimulates

the flow of saliva, which helps cleanse teeth.

– Monitor you child’s candy consumption – Parents should be in charge of

Halloween candy, not children. Establishing a candy bank is a popular

option and giving access to the bank after eating dinner helps to limit

the quantity of candy consumed. This is also an ideal opportunity to

teach about the importance of moderation.

– Better to eat two pieces at once than separately over the day – It is

the frequency that is the most important factor in tooth decay not the

quantity. This helps to limit exposure to acids that are left behind on

teeth after eating.

– Avoid sticky candies like taffy and gummy candies – Anything that stays

in the mouth or on the teeth for an extended period of time leaves acid

on teeth that causes tooth decay. This includes hard candies, lollipops,

caramel chews and the always dangerous jaw breaker.

– Reinforce positive oral health habits – Remind your child to brush their

teeth after every meal or at least twice a day and to floss each day.

Look at the labels of candy and other foods to show your child what to

look for on the packaging. Anything that ends in -ose like glucose,

fructose, and sucrose are sugars and should be avoided.

– Visit a CDA member dentist – In order to maintain proper oral and

overall health all children should visit a dentist twice a year starting

at age 1 or when their first tooth comes in.

Go to www.cda.org for more information on maintaining your oral health or to find a CDA dentist in your area.

The California Dental Association is the non-profit organization representing organized dentistry in California. Founded in 1870, CDA supports its members in their practices and service to the public through innovation in education, advocacy and related programs. CDA also contributes to the oral health of Californians through various comprehensive programs and advocacy. CDA’s membership consists of more than 24,000 dentists, making it the largest constituent of the American Dental Association. For more information, visit cda.org

The Highlands County Health Department began offering free dental care to uninsured pregnant women last Wednesday and its offices are already booked for the next two weeks.

“We’ve had a tremendous response from women learning about it through their OBGYN’s,” said Dr. Gerald Pyser, dental executive director for Highlands County Health Department.

Uninsured pregnant women and those receiving Medicaid are now eligible for free dental care at the health department’s dental office in Sebring.

The dental program, New Maty’s Dental Program, is the first to be offered to pregnant women in the county. According to Florida Department of Health’s 2008 statistics the program hopes to reach Highlands County’s 150 pregnant teens and 565 single mothers.

“The county has a high teen pregnancy rate and that’s really what’s driving the wheel,” Pyser said.

The program will offer free preventive and restorative care for pregnant women through out their pregnancy.

The health department’s program also seeks to educate expecting mothers on preventive dental care for their infants.

Pyser said pre-dental care leads to healthier mothers and infants.

“Treatment and prevention of dental and gum disease in pregnancy has a very positive effect on preventing preterm labor and low birth weight infants,” he said.

The department hired Dr. Joel Shapses, a dentist from Collier County, to treat patients for this program once a week on Wednesday by appointment.

Pyser said the program is permanent and based on the needs of the county.

“We hope to expand the program,” he said.

For more information on New Maty’s Dental Program, call 382-7257.

Birner Dental Management Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:BDMS), operators of PERFECT TEETH dental practices announced its regular quarterly dividend. The Company’s board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 17 cents per share of common stock. The dividend is payable October 9, 2009, to shareholders of record September 25, 2009.

Birner Dental Management Services, Inc. acquires, develops, and manages geographically dense dental practice networks in select markets in Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. The Company currently manages 61 dental offices, of which 35 were acquired and 26 were de novo developments. The Company operates its dental offices under the PERFECT TEETH name.

Keywords: Birner Dental Management Services, Inc., Birner Dental Management Services, Inc., Common Stock, Finance, Investing, Investment, Stock Market, Birner Dental Management Services Inc., Common Stock, Finance, Investing, Investment, Stock Market

This article was prepared by Investment Weekly News editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Investment Weekly News via VerticalNews.com.

The community solution forged to help adults without insurance or funds receive emergency dental care is yet another action that sets Haywood apart from other places.

Adult dental care has been a thorny issue for quite some time, accounting for a large number of the cases seen at the Haywood Regional Medical Center emergency department. Few dentists in the county are accepting anymore Medicaid patients, and the health department dental clinic focuses on children.

That leaves few options for adults with dental emergencies who aren’t able to pay for the treatment.

However, a partnership between Haywood Vocational Opportunities, Haywood Christian Ministry, the health department dental clinic and Dr. Eric Morrison, who often provides emergency medical care for those in need, has devised a solution.

There are 11 dentists in the county, including the dentist with the county health department, who will be participating in the program. A $9,000 grant and donations of $21,000 will help defray the costs. Haywood Christian Ministry will be accepting donations toward the program, which allows the contributions to be tax-deductible, and the agency will be the gatekeeper for helping adults find the dental care they need.

The solution is a caring one that fills a desperate need at the lowest cost possible. The program says a lot about the type of community and professionals here in Haywood who are making this possible.

Often ranting and raving about problems beyond our county borders makes us feel helpless and provides little hope of making a difference. But when we focus inward and look at our neighbors and fellow county residents who are doing without, it is fairly simple to make a difference. If all communities were able to take care of their own as Haywood has increasingly been able to do, it could change the dynamics of how we follow the biblical command, “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”