American Dental Association Comments on Healthy People 2030 Objectives
The American Dental Association (ADA) has suggested six additional oral health objectives to the committee overseeing development of the federal Healthy People 2030 initiative.
The American Dental Association (ADA) has suggested six additional oral health objectives to the committee overseeing development of the federal Healthy People 2030 initiative. In a 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 organizations providing population-based primary preventive dental services
- Increase the proportion of children with 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 reasons
The ADA also suggests retaining four Healthy People 2020 objectives, which include:
- Increasing the number of dentists with geriatric certification
- Increasing tobacco screenings by oral health professionals
- Increasing tobacco cessation counseling in dental settings
- Increasing the proportion of individuals with diagnosed diabetes that has a dental examination at least annually
Input regarding the 2030 initiative is designed to increase awareness of the importance of oral health to systemic health, and the value of collaborative care among dental and medical providers.
From Decisions in Dentistry. March 2019;5(3):8.
