oral health

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Spotlight News

Oral health plays a critical role in a person’s overall health and well-being, yet many New Yorkers face limited access to the oral health services they need. Identifying where these needs are most acute can help guide resource allocation to fill service gaps.

A new report, released by the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the University at Albany’s College of Integrated Health Sciences, indicates that improving access to oral health services in New York State requires a broader understanding of oral health needs and the challenges that underserved populations face.

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Crain’s New York Business

New York is opening the floodgates for more medical providers to administer fluoride to kids as President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration floated a proposal that could limit access.

Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a law on Saturday allowing dental assistants and licensed practical nurses to apply topical fluoride treatments to kids’ teeth – a treatment previously left up to providers such as medical dentists, pediatricians and dental hygienists. The law, which goes into effect immediately, attempts to open new pathways for children to get treatments that can prevent cavities and tooth decay, as workforce challenges and high costs create barriers for individuals and families to access the treatment from their dentist.

The law will expand the number of providers statewide who can give fluoride treatment to kids, combatting workforce challenges that have created long waiting lists for dental care, said Jean Moore, director of the Center for Health Workforce Studies at SUNY Albany. The law may help kids access preventive oral care in school clinics, federally qualified health centers and pediatricians’ offices, Moore said, and comes as the incoming federal administration has raised a proposal that could undermine efforts to administer fluoride in public drinking water.

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News Day

Fluoride treatments to teeth are now legally allowed to be applied by more types of health professionals, under legislation signed late this week by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Effective immediately, under a dentist’s supervision, registered dental assistants and licensed practical nurses can also provide the treatment, a fluoride varnish, which helps prevent tooth decay and strengthens tooth enamel. Parents and guardians under the supervision of a licensed provider can also apply the treatment…

…There are parts of the state in which two-thirds of the population live in high needs areas for oral health, according to a study published in July by the Center for Health Workforce Studies School of Public Health at the University at Albany.

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Spectrum News

A recent study by the University at Albany highlights significant gaps in oral health services across New York state, identifying 31 high-need areas, primarily in rural regions. The research, conducted by the Center for Health Workforce Studies, analyzed 15 sociodemographic indicators to assess needs across all age groups.

Dr. Jean Moore, the study’s lead researcher, noted that the biggest barriers include the ratio of dental professionals to the population and the availability of services for Medicaid patients and the uninsured.

“We looked at indicators related to the population, disability, pregnancy, and education level,” Moore said.

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Daily Gazette

ALBANY — Barriers to oral health care are markedly high in the Mohawk Valley, according to a statewide report.

A recently released study from the University at Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies found that nearly 90% of residents in the six-county region live in areas with wide dental service gaps.

It runs in stark contrast to the Hudson Valley, Finger Lakes, Capital Region and Long Island where care is significantly more prevalent. The overall statewide rate for high-need communities is 14% — nearly 73 points lower than the Mohawk Valley.

“There are a lot of moving parts here,” said CHWS Director Jean Moore. “What I would say to you is that, clearly, Mohawk Valley has issues, but one of the things that I really like about this work is that it breaks it down by service areas so that problems may be different in different parts of the Mohawk Valley.”

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Medical Xpress

Oral health plays a critical role in a person’s overall health and well-being, yet many New Yorkers face limited access to the oral health services they need. Identifying where these needs are most acute can help guide resource allocation to fill service gaps.

A new report, released by the Center for Health Workforce Studies (CHWS) at the University at Albany’s School of Public Health, indicates that improving access to  services in New York State requires a broader understanding of oral health needs and the challenges that underserved populations face. The study, conducted by CHWS, identified geographic areas throughout the state with the highest oral health needs.

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Dental Tribune

ALBANY, N.Y., US: Mental health support is now a great priority for many employers who wish to show their commitment to promoting well-being in the workplace. However, burn-out among healthcare staff continues to be a cause for concern and may lead to issues such as high employee turnover, absenteeism, depression and a greater likelihood of medical errors, thus threatening patient safety. Putting mental health in the spotlight, recent research examined the levels of burn-out experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic by oral health providers at non-profit dental facilities in the US serving low-income families or individuals. It also highlighted contributing factors and strategies used to increase workforce resilience.

The report, published by the Oral Health Workforce Research Center at the University at Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies, used data from the 2021 online survey by Health Choice Network that included information on clinicians working in 25 community health centres across the US. The survey gathered information on 588 respondents, including those working in primary care, oral health, and mental and behavioural health settings. Oral health clinicians totalled 33 dentists, 12 dental hygienists and 25 dental assistants.

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Becker’s Dental and DSO Review

Nearly four-fifths of oral health providers reported experiencing burnout, according to a report by the Oral Health Workforce Research Center at the University at Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies.

Of the oral health providers surveyed for the report, 79.3% reported burnout. Primary care providers and mental and behavioral health providers also reported high incidences of burnout, coming in at 80.1% and 76.2%, respectively.

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