Southern Dominion Health Systems Invites The Investment From The Ada Foundation Of $ 5000.00

Oral health has a direct impact on the general health, hence, it is important that all Canadians have adequate access to dental care services. Over the years successive Governments have reduced financial support to programs delivering dental care to most vulnerable populations. As a result, many low income families and other vulnerable groups have been unable to access dental care. There is further escalation in the disparities in oral health care among Canadians, as the number of Canadians losing dental care benefits continues to increase. Also, higher oral health care costs can be expected in the near future due to shortage of health care professionals.

As a nurse in a skilled nursing facility, oral hygiene care is very important, but the importance significantly increases when our patients are functionally dependent or cognitively impaired. These patients are unable to perform this task and depend on nurses to provide daily care. Nurses need to pay close attention for potential problems. They will need to perform assessments, develop oral care plans, and identify preventions and strategies to eliminate any potential problems. Poor oral health has been linked to serious systemic illnesses including diabetes mellitus, stroke, hypertension, myocardial infarction and aspiration pneumonia (Dyck et al., 2012). Patients who suffer from a lack of oral care can have a dramatic impact to their

Good oral health is important for a person's sense of well being and quality of life (Fiske, 2001). Inadequate oral hygiene can lead to pain, tooth loss, oral disease,

The accessibility of dental care in relation to race, ethnicity, income level, and overall socioeconomic status is evaluated. Across the board, a huge lack of dental care is seen in individuals of low-income levels and minority groups. In addition, the most susceptible groups to dental disease are identified as children, low-income adults, and the elderly. Ways to improve the oral health status of these groups are recognized. The various needs of underserved communities with respect to the access of dental care are assessed, despite a lack of sufficient dental insurance coverage of individuals who are members of these communities. This includes the improvement of both preventative and restorative care via public health programs, such as

As society continues to age, one fourth of the world will be 65 years or older, thanks to the influx of baby boomers. Due to this rapid growth in longevity, this will multiply the problem of access to care. Attention towards systemic conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and strokes are being discussed by government agencies and health care professionals. (Overview of oral health, 2017). There is evidence linking oral health to systemic health, therefore, a need for a more collaborative approach towards prevention is critical to achieve overall health for the public (Jin, 2016).

While most of the patients I interacted with were seeking non-dental care, I met patients who were seeking care to health conditions that stem from their oral health such as oral abscesses, which our team was unable to treat except for prescribing antibiotics or painkillers. I encountered similar situations when I shadowed physicians in the emergency room of hospitals, observing a variety of craniofacial disorders originating from a preventable tooth decay. From these observations, I learned that patients often did not receive treatment that addressed the root of their problems: their oral health. As the result, I learned that many physicians saw the same patient repeatedly for problems that would otherwise be easily prevented through proper preventive dental care. Determining to address the unmet needs for accessible preventive dental care, I decided to pursue a career in dentistry so that I can provide a positive and meaningful impact to the underserved community on their oral health and ultimately their overall

In the course of my time volunteering at the UCSD Student-Run Free Dental Clinics, I came to understand how poverty, language barriers, and a lack of knowledge about the importance of dental care can lead to readily preventable and treatable dental problems. These dental problems can lead to a cascade of issues, preventing an individual’s progress. As a clinic volunteer inside the school’s dental clinic, I noticed young students, with poor dental care, have constant pain that affected their studies and attitude. I recall a Hispanic young boy telling me he was sharing a toothbrush with his family. I hand over multiple toothbrushes and, using Spanish cards, educate him on oral hygiene. With each treatment visit, he was eager to tell the dentist

If you haven’t figured out enough reasons to take good care of your mouth, teeth and gums, the relationship between your oral health and your overall health provides even more, because choosing to practice a good oral hygiene equates to making an investment in your overall

Oral health care is an integral part of the US healthcare system. In 2012, Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced “The Comprehensive Dental Reform Act”, which aimed on expanding dental coverage, accessible oral health care centers, increase in dental workforce, enhanced dental education and encourage dental research. (Congress.gov). The ACA, aim to curb the national health spending, by facilitating the affordability to quality care through private and public health insurance. The purpose of this bill is to cut the healthcare costs and to reverse the “silent epidemic” of dental health status (surgeon gen). This dental bill with an integrated approach towards the preventive and comprehensive oral healthcare is estimated to provide coverage to almost 17.7 million adults. (ADA

While the private sector provides excellent quality of oral health care for its patients, many vulnerable groups have difficulty with access.2 It is also these vulnerable groups who demonstrate extremely high levels of oral health disease. According to a 2014 report issued by the Canadian Academy of Health Services (CAHS), the following represent Canada’s most vulnerable groups: individuals with low incomes; younger age children living in low-income families; individuals working without dental insurance; elderly populations with low incomes and/or living in institutions; aboriginal people, immigrants/refugees; people with disabilities; and, populations living in rural/remote communities.2 The CAHS authors report that increasingly and in light of challenging economic times, families from lower-middle income strata are also demonstrating difficulty with accessing oral health care (this is partially attributable to an increasing tendency toward part-time employment rather than full-time employment with benefits).

Underserved and Low-income populations face high rates of untreated dental diseases due to low access to dental treatment. One of the main causes of this problem is lack of participating dentists or poor distribution of dentists due to transportation problems. Untreated oral diseases are often seen in low-income communities and underserved populations The most common oral diseases that manifest in underserved populations are periodontal diseases and dental caries

Oral disease is on of the most common health problems affecting children in the United States (Oral Health in America, 2000). Dental caries is the most prevalent dental disease in children which occurs more often in disadvantaged children than in others. Additionally, children with public insurance have great difficulty gaining access to primary oral care services (Kaye N, 1998; Oral health, 2000). A Report of the Surgeon General stated that minority and low-income children in the United States experience poorer oral health and poorer access to dental health care services than do their majority and higher-income peers (Oral Health in America, 2000). Each year, less than one in five children enrolled in Medicaid use preventive services (Kaye N, 1998; Oral health, 2000). Even if the public insured children get some access to preventive care, access to comprehensive dental care is much more less (Oral Health in America, 2000).

Oral disease is a significant public health issue, with a U.S. Surgeon General’s report1 labeling it a silent epidemic due to its prevalence and missed prevention opportunities2. The life course framework is appropriate in considering oral health as a person’s oral health is shaped by biological, psychosocial, and environmental determinants3.A principle component of this framework is the identification of sensitive periods of increased risk, such as pregnancy, which represents one of the most critical periods3.

Lastly, low income countries have 62% of the world population and there world health expenditure is 2%. By looking at this information “Evidence based intervention for all major oral diseases exist. But they are not available or implemented in majority of countries” (Beaglehole Pg 91). Please refer to appendix 5 and 6

Although many Americans have good oral hygiene due to fluoride and making everyday good decisions, others do not have any access at all to oral health care. Over the years, dentists have been trying to demonstrate the importance of oral care. (“Access to Dental Care”) From commercials to campaigns, dentists will continue to demonstrate to their patients as well as to the people who don't have insurance the importance of oral health care. They will teach them preventative care and some techniques on how to prevent from getting any diseases.