A Pennsylvania-based study will be featured in the upcoming August issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA). “Cross-sectional study of association between caries and fluoridated water among third-grade students in Pennsylvania,” authored by Pennsylvania Department of Health Oral Health Program epidemiologist Dr. Jun Yang, also features PCOH Executive Director Helen Hawkey as a co-author. The study found that community water fluoridation was significantly associated with a reduced risk of developing caries among Pennsylvania children.

Click here to read the article.

The Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) Dental Public Health Policy Committee announced a new policy statement on preventing tobacco/oral nicotine use to promote oral health. The statement provides information on the impacts to oral and overall health as well as guidance identifying effective strategies in prevention.

Click here to read the statement.

The World Health Organization (WHO) released the first-ever “Clinical Treatment Guidelines for Tobacco Cessation in Adults.” The guidelines include a set of cessation interventions for adults seeking to quit all kinds of tobacco products. These guidelines are designed to help communities and governments provide the best possible support for adults trying to quit tobacco products.

Click here to read the guidelines.

The Journal of the California Dental Association published a special issue focused on the integration of behavioral health and oral health. The issue discuses the bi-directional relationship, a framework for integrating behavioral health and oral health in predoctoral education, and resource to support the integration of behavioral health into dental settings.

Click here to read the issue.

The Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC) and the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health (PORH) created a resource for health centers interesting in adding a public health dental hygiene practitioner (PHDHP) to their team. The resource includes guidance on what PHDHPs are and are not permitted to do and information on employing a PHDHP in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs).

Click Here to View the Resource

Laurel Health Centers in Mansfield was notified that Sen. John Fetterman has advanced a one-million-dollar Congressional directed spending request to the Appropriations Committee for review on their behalf. If approved, this funding will allow Laurel Health to construct a new full-service dental clinic to provide essential dental services to patients of all ages in northcentral Pennsylvania. Families in rural areas often limit or go without access to regular dental care due to a lack of dental insurance and the high costs associated with routine cleanings and treatment. For the past several years, Laurel Health has been working diligently to bring comprehensive, affordable dental services to more underserved communities and is excited to take the next step in that journey.

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) recently published a study that examined fluoride exposure during pregnancy. In response to the release of the study, the American Dental Association and American Fluoridation Society released statements and resources affirming support of fluoride for oral health.

Click here to read the American Dental Association statement.
Click here to read the American Fluoridation Society Key Messages.

As part of the FY 2023-24 state budget, the Pennsylvania state legislature allocated $12 million to be used for the purpose of making one-time payments to dentists enrolled in the Medical Assistance (MA) program based on an enrolled dentist’s utilization from calendar year 2022 billing of 31 dental codes as compared to the total claims billed. Per the legislation, this program is only for dentists that submitted bills for the eligible services using Provider Type 27 (Dentist). That means that care provided by FQHC dentists is not eligible for this funding as FQHCs are enrolled as Provider Type 8 and the FQHC is both billing and rendering provider.

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) announced updates to the Medical Assistance (MA) Program Fee Schedule based upon the 2024 Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) updates and based on clinical review. MAB 99-24-03 issued on May 28th can be reviewed in full on the Office of Medical Assistance Program website. See below for dental procedure codes that have been added.

• D2991 – refers to the application of hydroxyapatite
• D0190 – refers to screening of a patient
• D0191 – refers to assessment of a patient

Click here to view the updates.