Groundbreaking Oral Health Curriculum Endorsed by American Dental Association

Groundbreaking Oral Health Curriculum Endorsed by American Dental Association

LEESBURG, Va., Oct. 9, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The American Dental

Association (ADA) announced its official endorsement of “Smiles for

Life,” the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine’s national online

oral health curriculum. Funded by the National Interprofessional

Initiative on Oral Health, the Smiles for Life curriculum was first

released in 2005 and is now available in an interactive online 3rd

edition. Smiles for Life is the nation’s most comprehensive and widely

used oral health curriculum specifically designed by and for primary

medical care clinicians.

The endorsement came at the Interprofessional Initiative’s “2012

Symposium on Oral Health and Primary Care,” held in Leesburg, Va.,

October 7-9, and marks great progress toward ensuring all people at

risk of dental disease get the benefit of preventive services that

experts know can work.

“Oral health is a key component of overall health. We are pleased to

provide an opportunity for medical clinicians to learn to promote oral

health as an integral part of primary medical care,” said Alan

Douglass, M.D., Founding Editor of Smiles for Life.

“With physicians, nurses, physician assistants and other members of the

primary care team joining the fight for oral health, we have a real

chance to eradicate the silent epidemic of dental disease,” said Dr.

Kathleen O’Loughlin, executive director of the ADA. “The dental

profession looks favorably on the engagement of primary care clinicians

who have contact with patients of all ages since they can greatly

impact dental disease firsthand.”

The ADA recognizes and commends the work of the Interprofessional

Initiative for investing in the development of high quality tools like

Smiles for Life and in opportunities for clinicians to learn about and

prioritize oral health. This includes learning how to partner

effectively with each other. The work aligns with the ADA’s strategic

plan to collaborate across the spectrum of stakeholders outside of

dentistry to improve public health outcomes.

The Interprofessional Initiative’s goal is to improve access to oral

health care and prevention for children, adults and families who are at

high risk. It brings together diverse stakeholders in the field of

primary care clinician education and practice to create oral health

solutions. The Interprofessional Initiative is funded by the DentaQuest

Foundation, The Washington Dental Service Foundation and the

Connecticut Health Foundation.

“The ADA endorsement of the Smiles for Life curriculum is an important

sign of support from the dental profession,” said Ralph Fuccillo,

president of the DentaQuest Foundation. “We are thrilled to have the

ADA welcome new partners in prevention. We appreciate their recognition

of the work of the Interprofessional Initiative and its partners to

include oral health in the education and training of all primary care

clinicians. The Interprofessional Initiative is enacting real systems

change to permanently alter the way that health professionals are

educated about oral health; dental profession support is key to our

success.”

The 2012 Symposium on Oral Health and Primary Care, sponsored by the

Interprofessional Initiative on Oral Health, is an opportunity for

funders and representatives from dentistry, family medicine,

pediatrics, nursing, physician assistant and pharmacy professions to

come together to celebrate progress made and determine the most

effective next steps to integrate oral health into primary care

education and practice. The 2012 Symposium is the fifth in a series of

these events.

“We are seeing great progress as groups partner through the

Interprofessional Initiative to prevent dental disease,” said Laura

Smith, President and CEO of the Washington Dental Service Foundation.

“In Washington State, we’re excited by the possibility that primary

care medical providers will be ready to work in partnership with

dentists when they complete their education and start practicing. All

patients will benefit from dentists and primary care medical clinicians

sharing responsibility for preventing oral disease.”

“An endorsement of the Smiles for Life curriculum from the ADA speaks

volumes about the importance of educating the entire medical community

about oral health,” said Patricia Baker, president and CEO of the

Connecticut Health Foundation. “We are thrilled to support the work of

such an important initiative as we work together to end dental

disease.”

“The Interprofessional Initiative is forging common ground in the arena

of Medical and Dental Collaboration, one of the six priority areas of

the US National Oral Health Alliance. This work is a concrete

expression of what the Alliance hopes to make possible in all six of

its priority areas,” said Dr. Caswell Evans, Chair of the Alliance

Founding Board.