Oral Health Newsletter Volume 1

The Division of Oral Health (DOH) is piloting a new grant opportunity for local health departments that have completed an Oral Health Needs Assessment and Planning Grant (OHNAP) within the previous three years. The original OHNAP grant provided grantees with the opportunity to evaluate and to determine the oral health status of their jurisdiction through a comprehensive community-based assessment. This process produces action plans and/or next steps.

The Oral Health Needs Assessment and Plan – Phase 2 (OHNAP-2) will provide grantees with funding and technical assistance to move action plans and/or next steps forward. The DOH will assist grantees with technical support for the development and implementation of an effective population-based oral health program to meet the needs of their community.

OHNAP-2 recognizes and considers challenges but also the unique partnerships that may exist or will need to be developed. The DOH will work with the grantee to develop the grant deliverables that will work in each specific community. Grantees will also develop a tracking system to report their progress and to show the impact outcomes of the OHNAP-2.

Pilot grants started on October 1, 2020, and were made possible through funding from the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant.

If interested, contact your oral health consultant or email: DPH.OralHealth@illinois.gov

One of the priorities of the Division of Oral Health (DOH) is to collect, to analyze, and to share data. This may be data specific to oral health providers that could be utilized for grant funding, analyzing access to care, or the expansion of health services. DOH also recognizes that the general public has a need for health care data. Currently, DOH has three data sets to share.

The Illinois Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) is an ongoing population-based survey of women who have recently delivered a live born infant. The purpose of the surveillance is to reduce infant morbidity and mortality. According to the data collected by IDPH using PRAMS, there is an opportunity to improve the oral health of pregnant women in Illinois.

Review oral health data at these links:

The Illinois Hospital Report Card and Consumer Guide to Health Care includes an Illinois Public Health Community Map that highlights hospital emergency department encounters from various chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS. The oral health section focuses on Non-Traumatic Dental Conditions Emergency Department visits from 2016-2018.

Illinois oral health Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data has also been uploaded to the website. This data is available for viewing and download at:

Public health dental hygienist (PHDH) certification is available through the American Dental Hygienists Association and Illinois Dental Hygienists Association. The PHDH certificate is possible due to Public Act 101-0064 (effective July 12, 2019) and an amendment to the Illinois Dental Practice Act that allows registered dental hygienists in the state to hold PHDH certification.

A PHDH has a written public health supervision agreement with a licensed dentist and works in an approved facility or program. In an approved setting, a PHDH can provide preventive services, education, and take radiographs and intraoral photos without first being examined by a dentist. The licensed dentist and the PHDH must have a prewritten agreement. This workforce innovation will expand access to dental care for low-income, uninsured, and Medicaid insured persons.

A PHDH is an Illinois licensed dental hygienist who has two years of full-time or 4,000 hours of clinical experience and has completed the required 42 hours of continuing education (CE) credit courses for PHDH certification. Additional information is available through the Illinois Dental Hygienist Association at idha.wildapricot.org.

The CE courses must be specific to public health such as:

• Special needs dentistry
• Tele dentistry
  
• Nutritional counseling
  
• Cultural competence
  
• Professional ethics
  

An eight hour in-person review and exam is given when the course hours are completed, and a certificate is presented after the exam is passed.

A PHDH may work in these community settings:

• FQHC-Federally qualified health centers
• Federal, state or public health facility
  
• HeadStart
  
• WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children)
  
• Certified school-based program or health center
  

Additional information on PHDH can be found at:

• How to Register: https://youtu.be/fzaWCzPTWFs
• Overview: https://youtu.be/RjNWRwfNZWg
  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls the Oral Health Plan "a road map for accomplishing the goals and objectives that have been developed in collaboration with partners and stakeholders." In 2002, Illinois was one of the first states to publish a state-wide Oral Health Plan. Now 18 years later, the Division of Oral Health is getting closer to publishing the Illinois Oral Health Plan IV: Eliminating Inequities in Oral Health (IOHP IV).

From September to November 2019, eight town hall meetings were held across the state. Thanks to everyone who attended the town hall meetings or provided the advisory committee with comments/concerns regarding all aspects of oral health. The written version of the final draft of IOHP IV is nearing completion. With the restrictions of COVID-19, the summit planned for June had to be canceled. We are exploring the possibilities of a series of webinars in lieu of the in person working meeting to present and review the IOHP IV draft with you. IOHP IV will be published and available in 2021.

H20 On the Go is a new grant program by the Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation and the Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation. Eighty-five schools in Illinois will receive fresh water bottlefilling stations, toothbrushes, and reusable water bottles as a part of the initiative. The touch-free water stations give students easy access to fluoridated drinking water and prevent germ exchange. H2O on the Go program is designed to encourage students to choose water as a healthy alternative to sugary drinks.

Share Your Stories!

We would like to highlight your organization's stories and projects in our next newsletter. We just need 15 minutes of your time to discuss the story that you would like us to showcase. Schedule your 15-minute appointment today.

Please email: DPH.OralHealth@illinois.gov