The ADA has released the fourth in a series of papers that examine roadblocks to and solutions for providing regular dental care for underserved Americans.
"Breaking Down Barriers to Oral Health for All Americans: The Community Dental Health Coordinator (CDHC)" examines the ADA pilot program to educate, train, and deploy a new type of community health worker, one with a focus on patient education, disease prevention, and patient navigation.
As of October, the project has graduated 18 students, who are now working in such underserved areas as remote rural communities, inner cities, and American Indian lands, according to the ADA. Another 16 students are scheduled to complete the educational program this fall.
The CDHC is primarily based on the community health worker, a public health model that has been extraordinarily successful in outreach, education, and disease management. CDHCs bring the same focus to meeting people's oral health needs, concentrating on disease prevention, patient education, and helping people secure and keep appointments with dentists.
The ADA and state dental societies are working to encourage state governments, the academic community, and the charitable and private sectors to begin funding and operating CDHC programs.
Future ADA papers will address such topics as disease prevention, oral health education, and why patients do or do not utilize available services.
