The U S Oral Health Workforce In The Coming Decade

Access to oral health services is a problem for all segments of the U.S. population, and especially problematic for vulnerable populations, such as rural and underserved populations. The many challenges to improving access to oral health services include the lack of coordination and integration among the oral health, public health, and medical health care systems; misaligned payment and education systems that focus on the treatment of dental disease rather than prevention; the lack of a robust evidence base for many dental procedures and workforce models; and regulatory barriers that prevent the exploration of alternative models of care. This volume, the summary of a three-day workshop, evaluates the sufficiency of the U.S. oral health workforce to consider three key questions: What is the current status of access to oral health services for the U.S. population? What workforce strategies hold promise to improve access to oral health services? How can policy makers, state and federal governments, and oral health care providers and practitioners improve the regulations and structure of the oral health care system to improve access to oral health services?

In providing a comprehensive overview of the career paths currently open to oral health professionals, this book will serve as an essential reference guide for anyone considering a career in oral health. It covers, for example, clinical career paths in general dentistry (in private practices, community centers, and hospitals) and each of the various specialties, academically related career paths in both teaching and research, and non-traditional paths (community, government, administration, policy making, government research, and oral health organizations). The authors are from various countries and both academic and non-academic backgrounds. They have been selected for their distinction in particular career paths and include in their contributions insights gained from personal experience. This book will be ideal for readers seeking an introductory portrait of the different career paths in oral health, such as students. It will also be a useful source for those wishing to re-examine the field, e.g., oral health graduates considering their career choices, or to acquaint themselves with contemporary issues and debates.

Access to oral health care is essential to promoting and maintaining overall health and well-being, yet only half of the population visits a dentist each year. Poor and minority children are less likely to have access to oral health care than are their nonpoor and nonminority peers. Older adults, people who live in rural areas, and disabled individuals, uniformly confront access barriers, regardless of their financial resources. The consequences of these disparities in access to oral health care can lead to a number of conditions including malnutrition, childhood speech problems, infections, diabetes, heart disease, and premature births. Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations examines the scope and consequences of inadequate access to oral health services in the United States and recommends ways to combat the economic, structural, geographic, and cultural factors that prevent access to regular, quality care. The report suggests changing funding and reimbursement for dental care; expanding the oral health work force by training doctors, nurses, and other nondental professionals to recognize risk for oral diseases; and revamping regulatory, educational, and administrative practices. It also recommends changes to incorporate oral health care into overall health care. These recommendations support the creation of a diverse workforce that is competent, compensated, and authorized to serve vulnerable and underserved populations across the life cycle. The recommendations provided in Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations will help direct the efforts of federal, state, and local government agencies; policy makers; health professionals in all fields; private and public health organizations; licensing and accreditation bodies; educational institutions; health care researchers; and philanthropic and advocacy organizations.

Six dental schools have closed in the last decade and others are in jeopardy. Facing this uncertainty about the status of dental education and the continued tension between educators and practitioners, leaders in the profession have recognized the need for purpose and direction. This comprehensive volumeâ€"the first to cover the education, research, and patient care missions of dental schoolsâ€"offers specific recommendations on oral health assessment, access to dental care, dental school curricula, financing for education, research priorities, examinations and licensing, workforce planning, and other key areas. Well organized and accessible, the book: Recaps the evolution of dental practice and education. Reviews key indicators of oral health status, outlines oral health goals, and discusses implications for education. Addresses major curriculum concerns. Examines health services that dental schools provide to patients and communities. Looks at faculty and student involvement in research. Explores the relationship of dental education to the university, the dental profession, and society at large. Accreditation, the dental workforce, and other critical policy issues are highlighted as well. Of greatest interest to deans, faculty, administrators, and students at dental schools, as well as to academic health centers and universities, this book also will be informative for health policymakers, dental professionals, and dental researchers.

Issues in Dentistry, Oral Health, Odontology, and Craniofacial Research: 2011 Edition is a ScholarlyEditions™ eBook that delivers timely, authoritative, and comprehensive information about Dentistry, Oral Health, Odontology, and Craniofacial Research. The editors have built Issues in Dentistry, Oral Health, Odontology, and Craniofacial Research: 2011 Edition on the vast information databases of ScholarlyNews.™ You can expect the information about Dentistry, Oral Health, Odontology, and Craniofacial Research in this eBook to be deeper than what you can access anywhere else, as well as consistently reliable, authoritative, informed, and relevant. The content of Issues in Dentistry, Oral Health, Odontology, and Craniofacial Research: 2011 Edition has been produced by the world’s leading scientists, engineers, analysts, research institutions, and companies. All of the content is from peer-reviewed sources, and all of it is written, assembled, and edited by the editors at ScholarlyEditions™ and available exclusively from us. You now have a source you can cite with authority, confidence, and credibility. More information is available at http://www.ScholarlyEditions.com/.

This issue of Dental Clinics of North America focuses on Impact of Oral Health on Interprofessional Collaborative Practice, and is edited by Drs. Linda Kaste and Leslie Halpern. Articles will include: The Barber Pole Might Have Been an Early Sign for Patient-Centered Care: What does IPE/CP/PCC look like now?; Collaborative Practice Models for Chronic Disease Management; Problems and Solutions for Interprofessional Education in North American Dental Schools; Interprofessional Education in Pain Management for Dentists; Interprofessional Collaboration in Improving Oral Health for Special Populations; Interprofessional Collaborative Practice: An Oral Health Paradigm for Women; Interprofessional Collaboration for the Understanding and Elimination of Health Disparities: The Example of LGBTQ; Oral Health and Inter-professional Collaborative Practice: Examples of the TEAM Approach to Geriatric Care; Immunization Care and Dental Practice; Policy Development Fosters Collaborative Practice: The Example of the Minamata Convention on Mercury; Genetics: The Future is Now with Interprofessional Collaboration; Integrating Oral Health and Primary Care: Federal Initiatives to Drive Systems Change, and more!

Though it is highly preventable, tooth decay is a common chronic disease both in the United States and worldwide. Evidence shows that decay and other oral diseases may be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. However, individuals and many health care professionals remain unaware of the risk factors and preventive approaches for many oral diseases. They do not fully appreciate how oral health affects overall health and well-being. In Advancing Oral Health in America, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) highlights the vital role that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) can play in improving oral health and oral health care in the United States. The IOM recommends that HHS design an oral health initiative which has clearly articulated goals, is coordinated effectively, adequately funded and has high-level accountability. In addition, the IOM stresses three key areas needed for successfully maintaining oral health as a priority issue: strong leadership, sustained interest, and the involvement of multiple stakeholders from both the public and private sectors. Advancing Oral Health in America provides practical recommendations that the Department of Health and Human Services can use to improve oral health care in America. The report will serve as a vital resource for federal health agencies, health care professionals, policy makers, researchers, and public and private health organizations.