Grantee Profile: Maternal and Child Health AccessDecember 21, 2009 |
Printer-friendly version |
 Did you know that pregnant women with healthy teeth and gums are more likely to deliver healthy babies? And that 1-year-olds need to see a dentist just as their parents and older siblings do? If the answer is no, you're not alone. A surprising number of pregnant women and families are not aware that oral health can impact a child's overall wellness, even before he is born. Access to and utilization of preventive oral health care among pregnant women and children under age 3 is statistically low. To bridge the gap, Maternal and Child Health Access (MCHA), a First 5 LA Community Opportunities Fund policy grantee, together with the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles, is implementing a communication and public awareness strategy to ensure that mothers and infants in Los Angeles County gain access to adequate oral health care. MCHA is a community-based organization that facilitates access to health and social services for underserved women and families by providing technical assistance, education and advocacy. "Part of the issue is parent education," said Lynn Kersey, executive director of MCHA. "It's still not intuitive to take a 1-year-old to the dentist when they don't have many teeth. Part of it is that dentists don't have much experience seeing kids this young." According to Kersey, the grant has enabled MCHA to identify barriers and issues experienced by pregnant women, parents and oral health providers, and to subsequently create and implement a targeted outreach plan. Staff are being hired to research and update oral health provider lists, and tools such as brochures for pregnant women and printed information in various languages are in use to help families understand the need for regular dental and oral examinations, even for children 5 and younger. Another challenge that MCHA identified is that recent changes in dental benefits laws have caused some confusion about underinsured pregnant women's eligibility for preventive oral health care. The good news is they're covered, and MCHA is using the First 5 LA funding to ramp up communication with dental health care providers and expectant mothers and their families so they know that insurance is available. A portion of the funding was also put toward MCHA's efforts to impress upon state legislators that preventive oral health care improves children's lives. Unfortunately, because pediatric dentistry is considered a specialty, it is difficult for many families to access. But with the right kind of political pressure this may change. "With education around the barriers we've identified, you can get the providers and families on board early, and the legislators making the appropriate policy decisions to support good oral health for all," said Kersey. For more information about MCHA, visit www.mchaccess.org. ‹‹Back to this week's Monday Morning Report |
|
Comments
Post new comment