Dental Administration

Dental Administration The importance of public health dentistry In the current debate over healthcare, the importance of dental health is often forgotten. However, untreated dental complaints can have a severe impact upon a patient's overall health status. What is tragic about dental health issues is that most can be prevented with proper preventative care. There is a seismic gap between what the profession knows about good health practices and the care it is able to provide, versus the care underserved members of the population are receiving.

A 2000 report by the Surgeon General's stated that "while the majority of Americans have adopted safe and effective means of maintaining oral health over the past half century, many experience needless pain and suffering, affecting their overall health and well-being, and exacting financial and social costs that significantly diminish the quality of life" (Why choose a career in public health dentistry, 2011, AAPHD).

As well as impacting overall health, poor oral health can lead to a lack of self-esteem because of one's appearance, and can even result in prejudice against an employee or student. Pain can cause a loss of paid work and school days. 22.24% of 6- to 11-year-olds have untreated primary tooth decay, setting up these children for long-term poor oral health (Why choose a career in public health dentistry, 2011, AAPHD). The incidence of cavities is found in a very specific segment of the population.

"For those aged 2 -- 5 years, 75% of dental caries (primary dention) was found in 8.1% of the population. For those aged 6 years or older, 75% of dental caries (permanent dentition) was found in 33.0% of the population" (Macek 2004: 20), Over 22% of adults have untreated tooth decay and 25% of all adults over age sixty-five all of their teeth (Why choose a career in public health dentistry, 2011, AAPHD). These statistics can and must change, with adjustments in public health policies.

Other diseases, such as cancers, can present themselves with oral symptoms which can be detected with routine screening as well. Public health dentists seek to better-inform the public about appropriate self-care and professional dentistry and assess general health threats. They help implement dental health policies and try to improve service, whether through charity-based care or other programs. Public health dentists seek to understand why there are care deficits -- due to fear, ignorance, lack of resources, or a combination of all of these factors -- and remedy them.

The skills of a public health dentist are both those of a public health specialist and someone with professional knowledge of dental care. The public health dentist knows what is needed for good oral health from a scientific perspective, but also the realities of how to implement new programs from a policy standpoint. The specialist must understand the needs of specific communities, such as people in rural areas, the elderly, and pregnant women, and devise strategies to reach these target groups.

The education and training of a public health dentist should be extremely broad-based and include involvement in outreach efforts in a variety of communities, to understand the backgrounds of the people he or she will be helping. Understanding the rhythms of people's daily lives, and their perceptions and misperceptions of dentistry is essential when creating a comprehensive health policy and to work with.