| ORAL
HEALTH
The Early Childhood Caries
Project (ECCP); a transdisciplinary health care approach to prevention
of dental disease in children ages 0 - 3 year.
 In
May 2000, United States Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher issued
a report on the oral health disparities in the United States. The
report declared that 80% of tooth decay is found in 25% of America's
children.
Primary care clinicians frequently see infants
and toddlers during the first few years of life for routine well
child visits. Most of these clinicians receive little or no training
in oral examinations and anticipatory guidance for oral health.
Most dentists are not involved in the care of young children. Poor
children suffer from higher rates of dental disease and often have
limited access to dental care. They do not visit a dental provider
for preventive care and wait until a problem has arisen to seek
dental care. The ACU views early encounters with non-dental clinicians
an excellent opportunity to educate the caregiver about the appropriate
oral health practices for children, and identify those children
at greatest risk of developing dental disease.
Dr. Satcher's report states that oral health
is essential to general health and well-being and can be achieved.
It is through "transdisciplinary" partnering of the primary care
and dental communities that improvements can be made in pediatric
oral health. By offering primary care providers training in the
scope and epidemiology of the problem, components of a pediatric
dental exam, and how to provide anticipatory guidance on the subject,
the ACU is increasing primary care provider knowledge and ability
in the area of children's oral health.
The ACU's commitment to oral health care and
its Early Childhood Caries Project (ECCP) are examples of what transdisciplinary
health care denotes and illustrate its possible impact. Please explore
this website to visit the project's outcomes, components of training,
and learn how you can advocate for improved oral health care access
for all Americans.
Find out more about the ACU training of Primary Care Providers
in the Prevention of Early Childhood Caries.
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