The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report on access to care in the U.S. released this week is "an important step" in improving access to oral healthcare for vulnerable children and families, according to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
"The report offers a clear road map for how public and private entities -- including dental schools, dental professionals, government agencies, Congress, health professionals, and foundations -- can help ensure that every American, and especially vulnerable children and families, has access to dental care," Sterling Speirn, president and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, said in a statement. "And it is sorely needed. Millions of the nation's most vulnerable children lack access to oral care."
The Kellogg Foundation is particularly encouraged that the report calls for the following:
- Assessing new dental workforce models as a way to expand access to oral healthcare
- Changing state laws, including practice laws, to optimize access to oral healthcare and to allow remote collaboration and supervision
The report correctly identifies the critical need to better integrate oral health into overall health, according to Speirn.
"There's a critical link between the mouth and the rest of the body that is hugely overlooked," he stated. "Poor oral health can lead to a lifetime of other health issues, including heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Expanding the dental workforce can increase access to oral health, and help improve oral health, especially for those who currently go without much-needed care. In Alaska, 35,000 people are now receiving dental care as a result of adding dental therapists to a dentist-led team."
The Kellogg Foundation has a history of support for expanding access to oral healthcare for vulnerable children and families, Speirn noted, including providing support to efforts in Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Vermont, and Washington to add dental therapists to the oral health workforce.
"The report calls for 'multiple solutions that use an array of providers in a variety of settings,' " Speirn noted. "Improving oral health will require a multifaceted approach and dental therapists should be part of the equation."
