The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) has established the Pediatric Oral Health Research and Policy Center, intended to inform and advance research and policy analysis that promotes optimal oral healthcare for children.
Through the AAPD, the center will conduct research studies and policy analysis to further the understanding of practices that will improve oral health for all children, according to the organization.
Upcoming work will focus on areas such as successful Medicaid dental reforms, effective oral health literacy efforts, the benefits of establishing a dental home by age 1, and the efficacy of expanded function dental assistant laws. The center will assist federal and state policymakers in determining the best policies to positively improve the oral health status of children, the AAPD said.
"Too often, policymakers are presented with simplistic 'solutions' to children's oral health that don't hold up to rigorous scrutiny," said AAPD President John Liu, DDS. "The AAPD's center will serve as the resource for children's oral health policy and research."
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