C’mon, Give Us a Smile!

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provided an opportunity to expand dental coverage to millions of children nationwide. The provision to designate oral health services as “essential health benefits” establishes oral health as a critical piece of overall health.^10,11 Educational programs for NPs and PAs must follow suit and capitalize on the evidence-based knowledge and tools of our dental colleagues, so we can add oral health as an element of the health and wellness examination. The time has come to integrate the concepts of interprofessional oral health into the curriculum for NPs, PAs, and all health care providers.¹²

Remember, a “conscientiously applied program of oral hygiene and regular professional care” is an effective means of achieving a healthy smile!¹³ Let’s become providers of at least some of that professional care. Please share your thoughts with me at NPEditor@frontlinemedcom.com.

REFERENCES
1. Feinberg EM. A short history of modern dentistry. www.edwardfeinbergdmd.com/history-of-dentistry. Accessed April 8, 2015.
2. American Dental Association. History of dentistry timeline. www.ada.org/en/about-the-ada/ada-history-and-presidents-of-the-ada/ada-history-of-dentistry-timeline. Accessed April 8, 2015.
3. 1958 Crest toothpaste commercial. www.youtube.com/watch?v=v72NHYp8KD4. Accessed April 8, 2015.
4. Proctor & Gamble. Crest heritage. www.crest.com/about-crest/crestheritage.aspx. Ac­cessed April 8, 2015.
5. Danielsen RDD. It’s all about the spit! Clin Rev. 2015;25(4):4,6.
6. Feinberg EM. The importance of dentistry. www.edwardfeinbergdmd.com/adult-den tistry/importance-of-dentistry. Accessed April 8, 2015.
7. American Dental Association and the CDC. Water fluoridation: nature’s way to prevent tooth decay. www.cdc.gov/Fluoridation/pdf/natures_way.pdf. Accessed April 8, 2015.
8. Dye BA, Tan S, Smith V, et al; National Center for Health Statistics. (2007), Trends in oral health status: United States, 1988-1994 and 1999-2004. Vital Health Stat. 2007;11(248).
9. American  Dental Association. Four dental conditions—prevention summit primer (2013). www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Public%20Programs/File/2013_Prevention_Summit_Primer_on_Four_Dental_Conditions.ashx. Accessed April 8, 2015.
10. Stahl EM, Reusch C. Ensuring access to pediatric dental benefits in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). https://neach.communitycatalyst.org/publications/asset/Pedi_dental_final_5-29-13.pdf. Accessed April 8, 2015.
11. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Section 1302(b)(4)(F).
12. Haber J, Altman S, Moursi A, et al. Oral health challenges in pregnancy and childhood [webinar]. National Organization of Nurse Practi­tion­er Faculties. 2015.  www.nonpf.org/events/event_details.asp?id=508645. Accessed April 8, 2015.
13. American Dental Association, Council on Dental Therapeutics. Evaluation of Crest toothpaste. J Am Dent Assoc. 1960;61:272-274.