Enhancing the Dental Public Health Workforce & Infrastructure Kneka Smith, RDH, BS February 26-27, 2004 Washington, D.C.

Enhancing the Dental Public Health Workforce & Infrastructure

Kneka Smith, RDH, BS

February 26-27, 2004

Washington, D.C.

Dental Public Health

Is the science & art of preventing & controlling dental diseases and promoting dental health through

organized community efforts

It is that form of dental practice

which serves a community as the patient rather than the individual.

“While private dentistry fights in the trenches to deliver health care and education to individuals, public health dentistry surveys the battle field from the hill tops and tries to discern the needs of the community as a whole.”

--Bob Sare

DPH ConcernsDental health education of the

publicApplied dental researchAdministration of programsPrevention & control of dental

diseases on a community basis

Knowledge & Skills Oral Health Programs for Populations Disease Prevention & Control Strategies Ethical Standards Dental Care Delivery Systems Surveillance Systems Communication PH Policy, Legislation, Regulations Scientific Literature Conduct Studies

DPH is not just… ‘Welfare’ dentistry ‘Medicaid’ dentistry ‘Socialized’ dentistry Conducting surveys Fluoridation OSHA regulations Infection control

Quality assurance Financial support for

dental education Expanded functions

for dental auxiliaries Provider of last

resort

Community Dentistry isn’t DPH DPH isn’t Community Dentistry

Community Dentistry Focus: clinical oral health care for individual patients

Dental Public Health: oral health of groups of people

Dental Public Health Is…Concern for and activity

directed toward the improvement & protection

of the oral health for whole population.

Goal of Workshop

ObjectivesBrainstorm collaborative approaches

to address DPH workforce shortage

Develop a draft national action plan

Establish core group to facilitate follow-up on action plan

Short-term Outcome

Gain commitment from a variety of national organizations & agencies to implement an action plan to enhance the DPH workforce & infrastructure

Long-term Outcomes

Increase capacity to recruit & retain a diverse and competent DPH workforce that can help to reduce the oral health disparities in underserved populations in the US

Shared Goal

Issues to Consider:Career Opportunity in DPH

‘Pipeline’ of DPH professionals

Support of people in DPH positions Enhance skills in leading to improve the

nation’s oral health

Introductions

NameOrganization You RepresentWhere You Work

Capacity

a. Ability to perform or produce; capability.

b. The maximum or optimum amount that can be produced

Alternative:

1. The quality of being suitable for or receptive to specified treatment: the capacity of elastic to be stretched.

Infrastructure n 1: the basic framework or features of

a system or organization