Equality in oral health: NIH and NIDCR call for policy changes to improve care accessibility

28 Feb 2022 --- Medical research agency, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) are calling for equality in oral healthcare through research and policy initiatives – including dental, medical and behavioral integration policies – that will provide more affordable, accessible care to communities.

This call is based on findings and recommendations from the NIH’s comprehensive report on oral health, entitled “Oral Health in America: Advances and Challenges.”

The initiatives recommend several policy measures to improve oral health care access. These include integrating dental, medical and behavioral health care in traditional and non-traditional health care venues, such as schools and community health centers.

They also suggest having communities in the planning, design and implementation of oral health care systems.

The report also stresses the importance of diversifying oral health practitioners, addressing education and training costs and establishing a solid oral health research enterprise.

Taking advantage of these policy shifts and completely integrating oral health into a new era of discovery with a stronger focus on prevention will help to reduce inequities and enhance overall health for individuals, families and communities, the report’s authors write.

Analyzing oral health care disparities
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly half of individuals over the age of 30 have periodontal (gum) disease and 90% of adults over 30 have caries or tooth decay.

People from underprivileged and underserved communities are disproportionately affected by these and other oral disorders.Oral health care should be accessible, inexpensive and responsive to community needs.

Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected those who already faced oral health inequities, underlining the impact of social and systemic variables on health and well-being and the interconnectivity of overall health, mental health and oral health, according to the study authors.

Oral health is also threatened by the misuse and addiction to opioids and other narcotics, aggravated by the epidemic.

Opioids are routinely provided to patients who do not have dental care and seek treatment for dental problems in hospital emergency rooms.

In a similar line, patients with certain mental diseases have a higher risk of oral disease than the general population. Research on the environmental, psychological and behavioral aspects at the junction of oral and mental health will be required to address oral health inequities fully.

Moves in oral health
Addressing the large population affected by oral health conditions, Holland & Barrett joined a group of investors supporting the development of Floe Oral Care. This online oral health subscription service uses an at-home saliva testing kit to treat gum disease.

Within packaging, Colgate-Palmolive released recyclable toothpaste tubes in the US with bold designs to boost recyclability awareness. RecyClass had already certified the tube as recyclable through HDPE streams. Meanwhile, Dow commercialized an aluminum-free toothpaste tube.

Also tapping into recycling, Hoffmann Neopac’s polyfoil mono-material barrier tube was approved as recyclable in existing waste streams by the US Association of Plastic Recyclers. When compared to “typical” laminated tubes, the tube is said to lower carbon footprint by 38%.

Edited by Nicole Kerr

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