What is West Virginia Partners
for Oral Health?

A project of West Virginia Community Voices, Inc. funded by The Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.  What we do:

• Support and help coordinate community-based oral health projects.
• Compile results of research and information on oral health in West Virginia.
• Educate policy-makers and the public about the importance of good oral health, especially of pregnant women.
• Help integrate oral health into parent and provider health education programs; and
• Address provider payment issues for oral health with Medicaid, CHIP and PEIA.  

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Free CE Oral Health Course Available

Over the past several months the West Virginia Partners for Oral Health have been collaborating on a project to strengthen the knowledge of oral health as it pertains to the Head Start population and the young children of West Virginia. This effort resulted in the development of a self-paced, continuing education program for the dental team, medical team and Head Start staff.  The  CE course is free and is approved for nurses, social workers, dentists, dental hygienists as well as dental assistants. To take advantage of this opportunity, all you need to do is simply read the CE course entitled “Oral Health in West Virginia Head Start and Early Head Start Children,“ complete the test at the end, and mail the answer sheet to the address listed.  Please share this link with others that might benefit from participating in the course. 

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ARC/Benedum School-Community Partnerships for Children’s Oral Health RFP Sought

A partnership between the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, and the WV Governor’s Office will award grants to support collaborative efforts for improving the oral health of youth through school-based/linked dental services.  An application form for funding such school-community oral health projects is available for download.    Download the application.

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2009 W. Va. Legislative Session Productive for Oral Health

The W. Va. legislature adjourned on April 11, 2009 with a resolution to return in late May to finalize a budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.  Several bills pertained to oral health:

Section 8 of the Board of Dental Examiners Rule 5CSR1 was modified to allow for the expansion of auxiliary duties, allowing for general supervision and public health practice to continue in West Virginia.  This expansion was initially permitted in July 2008 under the WVBODE emergency rule, but was set to expire in October of 2009.  The bill allows both practices to continue permanently. 

Five new provisions were added to Section 8:

• Subsection 8.2.gg -- Allowing coronal polishing on children by trained assistants;
• Subsection 8.4. -- General supervision of dental hygienist
• Subsection 8.5. -- Procedures allowed by a hygienist with no supervision by a dentist;
• Subsection 8.6. -- Prohibited practices and procedures by hygienist; and
• Subsection 8.7. -- Public health practice by hygienist  

Senate Bill 326 requires insurance companies to cover general anesthesia and associated outpatient hospital or ambulatory facility charges when dental services are provided to children or developmentally disabled persons.

House Concurrent Resolution 89 calls for a study on the status of oral health in West Virginia’s rural communities.

Please continue to check the West Virginia Board of Dental Examiners Website for complete details of the legislation and its reporting requirements as they are developed. 

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Huntington Newspaper Calls Attention to Poor Oral Health Practices and Efforts to Improve

Two recent articles by Laura Wilcox in Huntington's  Herald-Dispatch, are calling attention to poor oral health and nutritional habits that contribute to tooth decay and what efforts are being made improve the situation.  West Virginia Partners for Oral Health coordinator Bobbi Jo Muto is prominently quoted in both articles.  Read Factors Erode Area's Dental Health and Efforts Under Way to Improve Care of Teeth

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Low Income Dental Center Planned

Eastern Panhandle children in low-income families could begin getting oral health care at a center just for them by October, 2009.   The Healthy Smiles Dental Center, a partnership between Healthy Smiles of the Eastern Panhandle Inc., and Shenandoah Valley Medical System Inc., is expected to operate in about 2,500 square feet of space in a commercial building at the intersection of Warm Springs Avenue and U.S. 11 (Williamsport Pike) north of Martinsburg.  Read the story in the Martinsburg Herald-Mail.