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 Concerns  Dental health education of the public  Applied dental research  Administration of programs  Prevention & 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

Objectives  Brainstorm 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  Name  Organization You Represent  Where 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