JULY 2006
(Vol. 1, Issue 2)

IMPORTANT DATES

September 28, 2006: WOHC Fall Oral Health Forum   Appleton, WI - Holiday Inn Select

October 7th, 2006: Greater Milwaukee Dental Association Dental Day Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Milwaukee Area Technical College

If you have an event you would like added to this list please e-mail Matt Crespin

WOHC MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

This month's Wisconsin Oral Health Coalition (WOHC) spotlight member is Kathleen Murphy of Milwaukee Public Schools.  Murphy is the health services coordinator and is a registered nurse.  Murphy also has a master's in nursing and is a Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow.  When asked why she was a member of the coalition she stated, "Oral health plays a very important role in the overall health and well-being of our students.  The coalition's mission, to create meaningful change to improve oral health and access to care in Wisconsin is wonderfully aligned with our goal of developing healthy resilient learners.  It is important for the largest school district in the state to be connected with organizations that work to improve the health of underserved and vulnerable populations; many of whom are children."  Murphy sees access as Wisconsin's biggest oral health problem, she notes "access continues to be a problem, but in addition, I think that improved workforce diversity at all levels of the oral health continuum would be beneficial."  The hard work and dedication that Murphy has toward the improvement of oral health in Wisconsin is greatly appreciated and the coalition applauds her efforts. 

This section of the WOHC Oral Health eBytes will feature a dedicated member/organization of the coalition. If you have any recommendations, please contact Matt Crespin

WISCONSIN NEWS

Clearinghouse Rule 05-033, allowing dental hygienists to become certified Medicaid providers, passes

Children's Health Alliance of Wisconsin is pleased to announce that Clearinghouse Rule 05-033 passed the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules (JCRAR) that allows dental hygienists to become certified Medicaid providers. In addition, the rule eliminates much of the pre-authorization paperwork burden identified as one of the barriers to dentists becoming Medicaid providers.

The Department of Health and Family Services was able to amend their rule to appeal to the members JCRAR. The amendments included a provision requiring all hygienists, applying for certification, to have at least two consecutive years or 3,200 consecutive hours in practice. In addition, the Alliance, the contract agency for Seal-A-Smile, is to be notified in writing 20 days prior to any sealant program being run by a Medicaid certified dental hygienist.  These program dates and locations will be posted on the Alliance's Web site. 

According to the rule, a dental hygienist will be allowed to bill Medicaid for the following services:
1. A prophylaxis.
2. Topical application of fluoride.
3. Pit and fissure sealants.

Hygienists can still perform all other functions within their scope of practice as defined by Chapter 447 of the Wisconsin State Statutes, however, only the three services listed above will be reimbursed when providing services as a Medicaid certified hygienist.

A special thank you is in order for the five members of JCRAR who supported this rule change, Sen. Glenn Grothman, Sen. Robert Jauch, Sen. Mark Miller, Rep. Spencer Black and Rep. Marlin Schneider. Click here to read the final version of the rule. 

WOHC Fall Oral Health Summit
This year's WOHC Fall Oral Health Summit will be held at the Holiday Inn Select in Appleton, Wisconsin on September 28.  The day will focus on the next steps that Wisconsin needs to take to improve oral health.  The keynote speaker will be announced soon and there will be a special guest panel of presenters on various models of care throughout the state.  It is anticipated that we will have a town hall meeting the night before with several local legislators to discuss the status of oral health in their area.  We look forward to seeing you in Appleton.  Please mark thursday, September 28 on your calender.  More information to follow.

NATIONAL NEWS

The Alaskan Dental Therapist model took center stage at the May National Oral Health Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas.  An expert panel comprised of, leadership from the American Dental Association and the American Dental Hygienists Association, an instructor from the training institution in New Zealand, a member of the Alaskan Native American Tribal Consortium, and an Alaskan dental therapist, took part in an engaging discussion.  An Anchorage news station covered the discussion and the three part story can be read and watched by clicking each of the links below.

Tooth and Nail Part I

Tooth and Nail Part II

Tooth and Nail Part III

FYI

Brush with Cranberries?
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Want to prevent tooth decay? You might consider beefing up the cranberries in your diet.

Researchers from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry find cranberries contain many substances, including flavonoids that may keep cavities from forming.

The investigators explain cavities -- also known as dental caries -- form when bacteria interact with certain foods on the surface of the teeth. The first step in the process is the formation of dental plaque, which is made up of bacteria growing in a polysaccharide matrix. Acid can also be formed by bacteria, which then eats away at the tooth, causing a cavity to form.

Dental caries affect more than 95 percent of all adults and cost the American economy nearly $40 billion every year.

Cranberries contain many substances known to inhibit enzymes linked to plaque formation. These substances can also block the ability of bacteria to stick to the surface of the tooth, prevent acid from forming, and reduce the acid tolerance of cavity causing organisms.

The researchers plan to continue their study of cranberries and their effects on dental health, looking for specific components of cranberries that might one day be incorporated into anti-cavity treatments.

SOURCE: Presented at the 84th International Association for Dental Research Meeting, Australia, June 28, 2006.

HIV and the Dental Team
Twenty five years ago the first cases of what is now known as AIDS was identified.  "Since then, more than 1.5 million Americans have been diagnosed with HIV and over 500,000 have died from AIDS."  Click here to read this article from Dimensions of Dental Hygiene on the role that dental professionals play in managing patients with HIV/AIDS.