KOHC September Quarterly Meeting Recap

On Friday, September 6th KOHC members and oral health advocates met virtually to:

Karena Cash, Kentucky Youth Advocates (KYA) Data and Research Director, presented information about the benefits of WIC, including access to healthy foods, one-on-one nutrition counseling, and screenings for health conditions including oral health.

She shared findings that suggest those enrolled in WIC are more likely to visit a dentist by age 5 and less likely to rely on emergency dental services.

And she encouraged meeting participants to share information with potentially eligible families by using the WIC Outreach Toolkit and sharing FREE WIC postcards offered from KOHC’s resource page.

Hear from Marsha Deaton, RDH, PHRDH, Dental Hygiene Program Administrator for the Kentucky Department for Public Health, Oral Health Branch, about the Study Your Sip fluoride supplementation program and PHRDH certification in Kentucky.

There was a lot of interest and discussion among members regarding the PHRDH certification. Marsha shared that most of those who are certified PHRDH work in local health departments help to bridge the gap and provide referrals for those in need without access to care or who don’t currently have a dental home, but that there aren’t enough opportunities for them to work in other settings. Members shared ideas for how best to expand programs and opportunities for those with a PHRDH certification.

Discuss ways to message KOHC priorities. Members shared ideas for how to build consistent messaging, areas of focus, lifting up personal stories, and where to target outreach efforts.