The American Dental Association (ADA) recently suggested six additional objectives related to oral health to the advisory committee overseeing the development of the Healthy People 2030 initiative. In a Jan. 17 letter sent to the U.S. Health and Human Service’s Advisory Committee on National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, the ADA recommended adding objectives designed to:
- Reduce the oral cancer death rate
- Reduce the incidence of oropharyngeal cancer
- Increase the number of community-based organizations providing population-based primary preventive dental services
- Increase the proportion of children who have access to a dental home
- Increase the proportion of older adults in long-term care facilities who have access to regular oral health assessments and treatment
- Reduce the number of emergency department visits for dental pain
The ADA also suggested retaining four Healthy People 2020 objectives, which include:
- Increasing the number of dentists with geriatric certification
- Increasing tobacco screenings in dental care settings
- Increasing tobacco cessation counseling in dental care settings
- Increasing the proportion of individuals with diagnosed diabetes to have at least one annual dental examination
Read more about the Healthy 2030 initiative at https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/About-Healthy-People/Development-Healthy-People-2030
