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You’re a Public-Health Dentist and You Didn’t Even Know It! by Natalie Peterson

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by Natalie Peterson

When Dentaltown asked me to write an article about public-health dentistry, I was stumped, thinking, "How can I make this topic even remotely interesting to the average dentist?" I brainstormed the topic with Karin Quick, DDS, Division Director of Dental Public Health at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, and she recommended taking the angle of how public health is a part of every dental practice in some way, and offered a list of programs.

Riding home on the bus that afternoon from my day at the dental-school clinics, I was listening to Howard Farran's podcast with Guy Moorman, and was struck by his quote, "They never talk about the public-health dentist, and I think deep down inside, we're all a specialist, because at the end of the day we're all a public-health dentist." I thought, I guess this is the universe's way of telling me my topic!

When most people think of public-health dentistry, they tend to think of dental professionals who are working in the U. S. Public Health Service, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), or school-based programs. But there is so much more to public health than those full-time career paths. I'll review a few avenues that you may not be aware of, and hopefully inspire some readers to get involved with a program as a way to help their communities.

Giving direct help
One of the most obvious ways someone can become involved is by providing direct patient care through a volunteer event. Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) is probably the best-known program, launched nationally in 2003 by the American Dental Association (ADA). Each year on the first Friday in February, approximately 10,000 dentists and 30,000 dental-team members across the nation provide care for children in need. You can host your own GKAS event at your practice, or participate in one of the larger-scale group events often hosted by local or state dental societies at schools or community clinics. The ADA Foundation provides program planning kits and support through its website.

Another volunteer-based program that has gained popularity in recent years is Mission of Mercy (MOM). The first MOM event was held in Virginia in 2000, and has since grown to 29 states, with more adding programs every year. In 2008, America's Dentists Care Foundation (ADCF) was formed to provide organizational support and equipment needs for events around the country. MOM events typically provide free dental care over a two-day span to patients of all ages, and move to different locations around the state each year. There are no minimum or maximum income requirements for patients, and it is first come, first served.

Since that first event, MOM events have provided care for more than 188,000 people at a value of more than $116 million. And there are other, smaller-scale volunteer care programs that are carried out all around the country on an ongoing basis, including through the Salvation Army, Union Gospel Mission, and Touched Twice.

Guarding young teeth
You don't have to leave your office to be a public-health dentist, either. Many offices have instituted sports mouthguard programs in cooperation with local schools or youth sports programs as a way to give back to their community. The Dental Lifeline Network operates several programs across the country, and the best known of these is Donated Dental Services (DDS). This program provides free dental treatment for people with disabilities or who are elderly and/or medically fragile, who cannot afford treatment and cannot get public aid. Patients are screened in advance by a program coordinator who ensures that they qualify, and they are then matched to a volunteer dentist for treatment. The dentist provides the necessary care in their office. The program operates through a volunteer network of more than 15,000 dentists and 3,600 dental labs across the United States. Since its inception in 1985, the DDS program has surpassed $250 million in donated dental treatment, improving the lives of more than 120,000 people.

There are even programs for specialists to get involved. Smiles Change Lives (SCL) is an orthodontic program that matches low-income children in need of orthodontic treatment with participating orthodontists. Since its inception in 1997, SCL has grown into a national organization with nearly 750 orthodontists participating, and more than 7,000 children have received life-changing orthodontic treatment. And the treatment provided isn't your usual "Class I with crowding"-type cases, but more complex cases with functional challenges and/or severe esthetic concerns. Each family selected for participation must agree to abide by the program's rules and contribute a nominal fee to SCL to be approved for the program. SCL uses these funds to recruit more doctors to participate. In this way, each family truly "pays it forward." By helping their own child, they are making it possible for another child to be treated, as well.

A capitol idea
You don't have to provide clinical treatment in order to participate in public health dentistry. Across the country, community water fluoridation programs have been under attack by people who believe that fluoride is harmful. Dentists have led the charge to preserve and expand this needed service, including Dentaltown's own Howard Farran.1 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers fluoridation of drinking water to be one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century.2 There may be a grassroots effort in your community (or in a community near you) through which you could lend a hand to keep municipal water fluoridation in place.

Another non-clinical way to become involved with public health is by lobbying government at your local, state, and national levels. The easiest way is through your Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), American Dental Association (ADA), or other state societies. These groups often hold days at the capitol" that allow you to meet with your legislators and share your position on topics of concern to you and your community. You can carry it further by becoming an officer or trustee in your dental society, or working directly with your society's political action committee (PAC).

If you don't have the time to be directly involved, you can donate funds to your state PAC if you feel it is representing your interests. Finally, if you have a knack for writing and are eager to find another way to contribute, consider helping out with grant writing. Many of these organizations are looking for additional grant funding from a variety of sources, and having a knowledgeable person offering to help out with that (often lengthy) process might be just what they need!

As you can see, there are so many more facets to public-health dentistry beyond working at a public-health clinic. You may already be involved with one or more of these programs. But even if you aren't, and have no inclination to do so, you still might be a public-health dentist. If you or a member of your staff delivered a fluoride treatment today, you just provided a public-health service! Thank you for your contribution, and consider what public-health program or service you could add to your practice next. References
  1. http://www.dentaltown.com/MessageBoard/thread.aspx?a=11&s=2&f=155&t=190631&pg=1&g=1&st=howard%20farran%20fluoride
  2. http://www.cdc.gov/about/history/tengpha.htm




Dr. Natalie Peterson is a 2002 graduate of University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. She has worked as a general dentist in a variety of practice settings including corporate practice, group practice, solo practice, and public health. Most recently she began work as an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Minnesota in the division of Primary Dental Care. She has been an active Townie since 2003, and is so crazy for Dentaltown that Howard Farran officiated her marriage ceremony at the Las Vegas Townie Meeting in 2014.


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