New York State Now Has Plan for Addressing Oral Health Needs of Its Residents
Posted on: Thursday, 13 October 2005, 09:00 CDT
By Anonymous
THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT of Health and New York State Public Health Association have released a first-ever oral health plan that addresses the heavy toll inflicted by untreated oral disease in New York State. Described as "a blueprint for achieving optimal oral health for all New Yorkers," the Oral Health Plan for New York State identifies goals, objectives and strategies to use when addressing matters of policy, prevention, access, workforce, and surveillance and research.
The oral health plan was developed with the assistance of various interest groups, among them, the New York State Dental Foundation, which was represented on planning and steering committees organized to help write the plan.
It is estimated that in New York State:
*Approximately 50 percent of children experience tooth decay by the third grade.
* 45 percent of adults aged 35 to 44 have lost one or more teeth because of tooth decay or periodontal disease.
* About 18 percent of persons 65 years and older have lost all their teeth.
* Life-threatening cancers of the mouth and throat are detected in five New Yorkers every day.
The plan recognizes right from the start that while "most oral diseases are preventable, not all individuals and communities benefit fully from the available preventive measures." This would appear to be not an insurmountable problem given the state's "impressive resources and assets," which are described in the plan as follows:
"With five academic institutions training dentists, ten dental hygiene schools and over fifty training programs in advanced education in dentistry, New York has much to offer in terms of education, training and research. It has one of the best populations to dentist ratios in the country. A provider network of health centers, hospitals and public health programs supports the dental health needs of vulnerable populations. New York's infrastructure is further strengthened by a financing system that ensures access to care for all needy populations."
Copies of the Oral Health Plan for New York State became available in August. For information about the plan, contact the Bureau of Dental Health at the New York State Department of Health, Corning Tower, Room 542, Albany, NY 12237; (518) 474-1961.
Copyright Dental Society of the State of New York Aug/Sep 2005
Source: New York State Dental Journal
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