Fall 2020

Your quarterly children’s oral health newsletter for Snohomish County, provided by the Access to Baby & Child Dentistry (ABCD) Program. Stay informed about program updates and how to promote children’s oral health.

In this issue...

1. Dental Care During the Pandemic

2. Access to Care Data Dashboard
3. Treating Patients with Special Needs
4. Linguistic Inequities in Oral Health
5. ABCD Program Update
6. Low-cost Dental Resources
7. Dental Access Coalition Update

News Bite

Dental Care During the Pandemic

Snohomish County has seen a sharp increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and related deaths, similar to trends in Washington State and across the country. Last week, daily cases reported reached an all-time high, and hospitalizations are up approximately 150% in Snohomish County compared to 2-3 weeks ago. Visit the Snohomish Health District Coronavirus Information Website for up-to-date information.

Despite the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, oral health remains an essential part of overall health. Snohomish County dentists have expressed concern about an increase in the severity of tooth decay they are seeing in children, possibly due to delays in seeking care. This puts children at greater risk for procedures requiring sedation and hospitalizations related to infection. Dental services continue under Governor Inslee's most recent statewide restrictions, with stringent COVID-19 precautions in place to keep families and staff safe. 

COVID-19 related guidance for dental settings:

• Washington State Dental Association's COVID-19 Resources for Dentists (member login required to access) 
• CDC’s Guidance for Dental Settings website 
• If your office cannot access PPE through commercial sources, visit the Health District Resource Request page

Access to Care Data Dashboard

Health Message Bite

How to Make Brushing and Flossing Fun

 
The Mighty Mouth campaign published a guide for how to make brushing and flossing fun for kids at home. Don't miss the list of 7 toothbrushing songs compiled by the ADA! Staying at home provides a great opportunity to put good oral health habits in place. 

Training Bite

Treating Patients with Special Needs

 
The University of Washington is offering a 3-hour on-demand online course for dental professionals who treat, or would like to treat, special needs patients. The course can be accessed online here. The course is $40/person and three CDE credits are available upon completion.
Fact sheets regarding dental care for adults and children with 17 different conditions are available for free on the course webpage. Conditions covered include ADHD, autism, down syndrome, and HIV, among others.

Health Equity Bite

Linguistic Inequities in Oral Health

Data from the 2015-2016 Snohomish County Smile Survey showed that among Kindergarten age children, children who did not speak English at home were more likely (63%) than children who spoke English at home (46%) to have experienced decay in primary or permanent teeth. More recent Statewide data summarized by the Arcora Foundation shows a statistically significant difference in decay experience for 2nd and 3rd Grade children who did not speak English at home (66%) than children who speak English at home (49%). 

The root causes of these inequities are multifold. In the article Language-Based Inequity in Health Care: Who is the "Poor Historian?" in the AMA Journal of Medical Ethics, authors argue that health care systems have a moral duty to address linguistic inequities. We can do so by providing access to providers who speak patients' preferred languages or high-quality medical interpretation, educating health care professionals, and changing organizational cultures. In addition, barriers to accessing care for linguistic minorities can be addressed in part through the expansion of access to public programs such as Medicaid and reducing barriers to enrollment through immigration policy reform. 

For information about finding a dentist for families with limited English proficiency, see resources in the next section 'ABCD Program Bite'

ABCD Program Bite

Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD) Program

 
Do you or your clients need extra help with transportation, language access, or appointment scheduling? There is extra help available through the Access to Baby & Child Dentistry (ABCD) program for children under the age of 6 who are insured by Medicaid. Contact the Snohomish County ABCD Coordinator at dentalinfo@snohd.org or 425-339-5219, or complete the ABCD referral form online. Translation services are available.

ABCD Training for Dental Professionals

 
The Access to Baby & Child Dentistry (ABCD) program trains dentists to provide care to children under the age of 6 on Medicaid/Apple Health. ABCD certified dentists receive enhanced fees through Medicaid for certain procedures and education. ABCD certification requires just a few hours of CDE eligible training that is delivered by a volunteer dentist in your area. ABCD Training is now available remotely.
 
To become an ABCD dentist, complete an ABCD refresher training, or if you are already an ABCD dentist and would like to complete Phase II Interim Therapeutic Restoration (ITR) training, contact the Snohomish County ABCD Coordinator, Laura Nay, directly at lnay@snohd.org or 425-359-0384.

Make a difference for children in Snohomish County by becoming an ABCD provider!

DentistLink

Anyone in Washington, whether they are insured by Medicaid, private insurance, or are uninsured, can text or call DentistLink at (844) 888-5465. A referral specialist will help the client find a dentist in their area. Spanish-speaking referral specialists and translation services are available.

Low-Cost Dental Resource List

 
Snohomish Health District maintains a list of dentists who provide services to low-income adults and children. The Low-Cost Dental Resource list includes dentists and clinics and the services they provide including languages, emergency care, and child dental care. You can find the latest version here. To be added or removed from the list, or to make edits to your listing, please complete this online form. 

The Low-Cost Dental Resource List is now available in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Tagalog, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.

Dental Access Coalition Bite

The Dental Access Coalition (DAC) of Snohomish County is a community partnership of oral-health providers and stakeholders with the goal of promoting oral health throughout the lifespan. The mission of the DAC is to:

• Improve access to comprehensive, coordinated dental care
• Mobilize community resources, agencies, and institutions to action
• Advocate for prevention and early intervention

November Meeting

 
At the November Dental Access Coalition (DAC) meeting, members discussed the upcoming legislative budget session and risks to adult Medicaid dental coverage. The DAC will begin drafting a policy agenda to communicate our priorities to lawmakers. In addition, attendees expressed the importance of gender-affirming care, and are taking steps to offer education to dental professionals on this subject. 

Future Meetings

 
The DAC convenes quarterly. The next DAC meeting will be held over Zoom on Friday, January 22nd from 9-10:30 am. All who are interested in collaborating with other oral health stakeholders in our community are invited to join. Please contact Sarah de Jong at sdejong@snohd.org if you are interested in learning more about the DAC.