Oral Health

ACU is committed to reducing the disparities in oral health access and outcomes in the U. S. through transdisciplinary team training and low-literacy consumer education.

The Early Childhood Caries Project

The Early Childhood Caries Project (ECCP) is a transdisciplinary health care approach to prevention of dental disease in children ages 0 – 3 years. ACU developed the project in response to a report on the oral health disparities in the United States issued in May 2000 by then-Surgeon General David Satcher. Among the report’s findings was that 80% of tooth decay is found in 25% of America’s children.

Primary care clinicians see infants and toddlers during the first few years of life for routine well child visits. Most of these clinicians receive little or no training in oral examinations and anticipatory guidance for oral health. Most dentists are not involved in the care of young children. Poor children suffer from higher rates of dental disease and often have limited access to dental care. They do not visit a dental provider for preventive care and wait until a problem has arisen to seek dental care. The ACU views early encounters with non-dental clinicians an excellent opportunity to educate the caregiver about the appropriate oral health practices for children, and identify those children at greatest risk of developing dental disease.

The Surgeon General’s report states that oral health is essential to general health and well-being and can be achieved. It is through “transdisciplinary” partnering of the primary care and dental communities that improvements can be made in pediatric oral health. By offering primary care providers training in the scope and epidemiology of the problem, components of a pediatric dental exam, and how to provide anticipatory guidance on the subject, ACU is increasing primary care provider knowledge and ability in the area of children’s oral health.

Resources

ACU’s downloadable resource list is a compilation of information on and links to professional education, advocacy and other oral health resources.

ACU has developed a number of clinical tool cards that serve as a concise pocket-size reference card for busy practitioners. Download samples here:

• Anticipatory Guidance for Oral Health
• Infant Oral Health Care Guidance #1
• Infant Oral Health Care Guidance #2

Policy Brief

Ensuring Oral Health Through a Transdiscplinary Approach by Emanuel Finn, DDS and Scott Wolpin, DMD