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Integrating Oral Health and
Maternal and Child Health Programs
Wednesday, September 22, 2004, 2-3 p.m.,
EDT
Overview
According to the Surgeon General’s National Call to Action (2003),
dental caries is the most common chronic condition among our nation’s
children – five times more common than asthma. Oral health is
an essential component of children’s overall well being and impacts
their ability to eat, speak and learn. Untreated dental-related illnesses
in children account for more than 51 million lost school hours and can result
in a lifetime of chronic health problems and developmental delays.
Collaborations between maternal and child health and oral health programs
can play a critical role in bolstering State and local capacity to promote
children’s oral health, especially in times of fiscal constraint.
This DataSpeak program will feature a presentation by a senior-level official
of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) regarding this
agency’s oral health goals and the important role of Title V/MCH
agencies in these efforts. The program will also include a conversation
with a former State MCH director and current Dental Health Administrator
of a county public health department regarding examples of, and opportunities
for, collaboration between MCH and oral health programs to address common
goals.
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