CDHC pilot program begins second year
Tempe, Ariz.鈥擫ater this month, a two-day orientation and kickoff here will mark the next phase in development for the ADA’s Community Dental Health Coordinator project.
The meeting March 26-27 at Rio Salado College will include six new students from each of its three pilot program sites, current students who are moving into the internship phase of their training, CDHC educators and ADA leaders. Participants will have a chance to share their experiences as the project moves into the second year of a three-year pilot program.
The kickoff event will welcome the first six students from Temple University in Philadelphia, the urban pilot site for the project. Temple students, plus new students from the University of Oklahoma, the rural pilot site and the University of California at Los Angeles, in conjunction with Salish Kootenai College in Montana, the Native American pilot site, will receive laptop computers and orientation for their online didactic training through Rio Salado during the meeting.
Students affiliated with University of Oklahoma and UCLA who began their didactic training a year ago will prepare to begin the six-month internship phase of their CDHC training.
“Everybody’s excited about this,” said Dr. W. Ken Rich, ADA 6th District trustee and Board liaison for the project. “The students, the directors, ADA leaders and staff are very enthusiastic. This program is unique and designed to reduce the social and cultural barriers that contribute to dental disease, improve oral health and assist underserved populations access dental care.”
The Community Dental Health Coordinator workforce model was developed in response to ADA House Resolution 3H-2006 and 25H-2006. The 2008 ADA House of Delegates passed a resolution that committed funding for a five-year study of the CDHC.
By working in their own communities, CDHCs will be trained to help patients navigate the health system and access care by a dentist in an appropriate clinic and work to improve community members’ oral health self-care through education and awareness programs.
Under the supervision of a dentist, their training also includes specific clinical duties鈥攕creenings, fluoride treatments, placement of sealants and temporary fillings, and simple teeth cleanings (scaling for perio type 1-gingivitis) until the patient can receive comprehensive services from a dentist or dental hygienist. CDHCs will not excavate caries but could place temporary restorations with a dentist鈥檚 approval after the dentist has made a diagnosis.
CDHCs will work primarily in public health and community settings like clinics, schools, churches, senior citizen centers, Head Start programs, and other public settings with residents who have ethnic and cultural backgrounds similar to the CDHC. They can interface with a variety of dental providers, including clinics, community health centers, the Indian Health Service and private practice dentists.
“Although the CDHC model is new, it is based on that of the medical community health worker,” said Dr. Rich. “This model has demonstrated its value in health education, prevention, disease management and increasing access.”
The ADA’s CDHC pilot project also incorporates an evaluation component that will assess if the program contributes to improved access to oral health care and has a positive impact on oral health outcomes and the financial sustainability of the dental health clinic sites.
“The CDHC model is a member of the dental team that focuses on prevention, education and patient advocacy,” said Dr. Rich. “The model is designed to have an impact on the disease process rather than drilling and filling. Additionally, it can help underserved populations address cultural, language, social, education and financial barriers to oral health care. By working in their own communities, CDHCs will understand and be able to help their patients navigate barriers to oral health care.”