Hello to the Oral Health Section!

As the incoming chair of the Oral Health Section, I’m looking forward to leading the Section in this time of change. I’d like to welcome and recognize our new Section leadership team that continue their terms or began their terms at the end of the October 2008 meeting in San Diego. This is the first issue for our new Newsletter Editor, Jay W. Friedman.  We appreciate the effort and dedication to the Oral Health Section. A big thank-you is also due the outgoing officers as well as those who helped on committees, such as Membership, Awards, Newsletter, etc. Thanks to outgoing Section Councilors Wanda Wright and Woosung Sohn, Governing Councilor Magda DeLa Torre, and Immediate Past Chair Dyan Campbell. Thanks also to Newsletter Editor Anuradha Deshmukh, Membership Committee Chair Beth Hines, and Webmaster Tim Cooke for their service. A special thank you to Howard Pollick for his outstanding service as Section chair and to Kathy Lituri for her continued dedication as secretary. While APHA does much to support our activities, much of the Section’s success is due to the volunteer efforts of our membership.

What a great Annual Meeting in San Diego! There is more information in this Newsletter on the meeting, the awards received, and the two oral health policies we guided through for approval on water fluoridation and removal of third molars. A great job was done by the Program Planning Committee chaired by Woosung Sohn, local arrangements by Tracy Finlayson, booth coordination by Lynn Bethel, and everyone else who helped with the awards ceremony, the business meetings, the booth, the new policies, and those who served as moderators. The scientific program included 10 oral sessions and six poster sessions developed by the Oral Health Section, and, of course, a number of relevant multidisciplinary sessions sponsored by other Sections. The oral sessions and posters were of very high caliber, and we thank the authors and presenters for making the program stimulating and informative. Thanks to our sponsors whose generosity enhanced the meeting and allowed us to support our awards programs: LCI, Ltd., Omni, a 3M ESPE company, and Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals, Inc. We also received recognition for the 65th anniversary of the Oral Health Section.

Our next Annual Meeting will be in Philadelphia Nov. 7-11, 2009. David Cappelli is heading up the Program Planning Committee, and I’m confident we’ll have another outstanding scientific program for you. I hope you have submitted an abstract. Make plans now to join us in Philadelphia!

With the new administration in Washington, I’m sure many of you are hopeful for a renewed emphasis on oral public health. SCHIP reauthorization has been signed into law by President Obama. An estimated 11 million children will have a required dental benefit. The $33-billion legislation should increase coverage of low-income children from the current 7 million to 11 million in the next 4½ years, a reduction in half of uninsured children. It will be funded by increasing the tax on cigarettes from 61 cents to $1 a pack. The legislation includes a number of other dental measures, such as a state option for dental-only supplemental coverage, FQHC contracting with private dentists, prenatal oral health education, strengthening of reporting, improved availability of information about dental providers, and inclusion of dental measures in quality measures. 

There also appears to be some potential funding in the economic stimulus package. Along those lines, APHA continues to enhance their advocacy activities, while attempting to be more strategic. You should be receiving APHA Legislative Alerts by e-mail for selected issues. I hope you take a few minutes to use the CapWiz system link to write e-mail letters to your Senators and Representative. You can start with the suggested letter, or the letters are easily customized as desired, e.g., to include an oral health aspect. It only takes a few minutes. Try it ― you’ll like it. See  http://www.capwiz.com/apha/home/. 

Another APHA initiative to facilitate communication within Sections is coming in a few months ― e-Communities. It’s an upgraded listserv and bulletin board system for Section members. Many features can be customized by you, and e-Communities should be a good platform to exchange information and discuss current topics.

The Oral Health Section continues to participate in the process to develop Healthy People 2020. In addition to testifying at the Regional Hearings last year, we continue to participate with a group including ASTDD, AAPHD, ADA, ADHA and other partners. We are working with DHHS agencies (CDC, HRSA, NIDCR, and IHS), and the PHS Chief Dental Officer, to develop draft oral health objectives. A meeting will be held March 3-4 to work on the draft objectives. Stay tuned.

For those of you new to the Oral health Section, we welcome your involvement in Section activities, whether on a committee or by running for an office. And for those who have already been through a leadership experience, give some thought to getting involved again. Feel free to contact me or any member of the Section leadership.

Best wishes for a wonderful, successful 2009.

Scott Presson, Chair