August 1, 2024   

National Wellness Month

National Wellness Month, observed every August, encourages individuals to incorporate healthy routines into their daily lives. One aspect of wellness that often goes unnoticed is oral health. Our oral health and overall wellness are undeniably connected.

JOURNALS, REPORTS & WHITE PAPERS

Lower-Income Families Still Spend More on Dental Care

CareQuest Institute’s latest analysis of dental care spending and income reveals that inequities in out-of-pocket expenditures between the poorest and wealthiest families in the US have continued to grow. In 2021, the most recent data available, poorer families paid 7.4 times more in out-of-pocket expenditures for dental care compared to high-income families.

Chair Rodgers Unveils Framework for NIH Reform, Requests
Stakeholder Input

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) unveiled on June 14, 2024, a framework that lays out the current challenges facing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and contains recommendations for reform.

Health Workforce for Oral Health Inequity: Opportunity for Action

Oral health is high on the global agenda following the adoption of the 2022 global strategy on oral health at the 75th World Health Assembly. Given the global burden of oral disease, workforce development to achieve universal health coverage is crucial to respond to population needs within the non-communicable disease agenda. The aim of this paper is to present an overview of the oral health workforce globally in relation to key contextual factors.

Oral Diseases in Palestine 

Oral diseases, encompassing conditions such as dental caries and oral cancers, are severely under-addressed globally despite their prevalence and link to chronic illnesses. In 2021, oral diseases in Palestine ranked just behind COVID-19 and upper respiratory infections in terms of morbidity.

#InCaseYouMissedIt

Integration of Primary and Oral Health Care—
An Unrealized Opportunity

Primary care is the central component of a high-functioning and equitable health system. However, there is a shortage of primary care clinicians, and the time required to complete all recommended prevention services and counseling for a typical primary care panel is prohibitive.

As we embrace driving change as a catalyst for improving oral health, we are pleased to present the Santa Fe Group’s 2023 Annual Report.

UPCOMING EVENTS

#LiveWebinar August 6, 2024
Whole Person Care: Interdisciplinary Medical and Oral Health

This session, hosted by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC), will highlight opportunities, challenges, and recommendations to enhance integration. The webinar will feature representatives from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Mile Square Health Center. 
THIS LIVE WEBINAR WILL BE HELD ON AUGUST 6, 2024, FROM 1:00 p.m.
TO 2:00 p.m. EST

#Symposium September 11, 2024
Improving Health Care for Intellectually and Developmentally
Disabled Patients

Medical-dental integration (MDI) provides dental teams with a proactive approach that elevates the level of care provided to their patients, thereby improving their systemic health. The fourth annual Florida Combined Life–Florida Blue Foundation MDI Symposium allows dentists and hygienists to convene virtually. 
THIS VIRTUAL EVENT WILL BE HELD ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2024, FROM 2:00 p.m.
TO 6:00 p.m. EST

#LiveCEWebinar November 6, 2024
The Strengths and Weaknesses of Publicly Supported Dental Benefits Programs within the U.S.

Colgate Oral Health Network & Santa Fe Group! This webinar will provide information about the differences in funding for oral health care in funding for oral health care between Medicare and Medicaid and where and why the gaps in publicly available dental coverage for adults leave large unmet needs
THIS LIVE WEBINAR WILL BE HELD ON AUGUST 6, 2024, FROM 1:00 p.m.
TO 2:00 p.m. EST