HRSA/MCHB 2005 FEDERAL/STATE PARTNERSHIP MEETING

PUBLIC HEALTH ACROSS THE LIFESPAN

Improving the Oral Health of CSHCN through the lifespan

JAY BALZER: Some of the problems are provider issues. The dentist not having the proper training, the dentist not being willing to take the time to work with the child. So we got provider issues and then of course, we have system issues, like insurance that doesn’t compensate a provider, a dentist that need extra time and effort to work with some of these children. So you know, that’s a session in itself and I’m not even going to go there. Just want to remind you, I represent ASTDD, the state and territorial dentists. We have a committee that is trying to raise awareness of this issue. We have resource materials that are issued by the Oral Health Resource Center in Georgetown. Katrina is here, we have a website I would direct you to: astdd.org. And on that website, there’s things about best practices and we also have some oral health institutes that are addressing this issue. These are funded out of the bureau. They’re coming up in Denver and in New England the next few weeks. If you have some information.

UNKNOWN SPEAKER: New England is Monday.

JAY BALZER, D.D.S.: New England is Monday. So if you have any interest in that sort of thing, get to me, get to Mark, it’s coming up. That’s it for me. Betsy, a few words about Family Voices.