Teledentistry in Texas Webinar
Please join us for the “Teledentistry in Texas: Opportunities to Increase Access to Care” webinar on February 10, 2023, from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM CT presented by Dr. Scott Howell, DMD, MPH. During this session, attendees will have the opportunity to learn how Texas dental providers can incorporate teledentistry into their care models that work best in their practice and their patients. They will also learn how dental students are being trained to use teledentistry to its maximum potential.
One hour of continuing dental education credit will be awarded to those submitting a completed online evaluation. Registration is complimentary but required at https://bit.ly/TeleReg-21023 to receive your webinar link and passcode.
To learn more about our featured speakers, course description, and learning objectives, please visit https://txohc.org/education/teledentistry-texas.
TxOHC Member Spotlight
Congratulations to the Midwest Dental Collaborative Stakeholder Winner
Midwest Dental Equipment and Supply announced the winner of the Midwest Collaborative Stakeholder Initiative drawing during the December TxOHC end-of-year meeting on December 9, 2022.
Congratulations to UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry for winning the Young Infinity™ Cordless Prophy Handpiece.
The UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry Assistant Professor and TxOHC Chair-Elect Magda de la Torre, RDH, MPH accepted the award on behalf of the school from Tara Thompson of Midwest Dental.
Dr. Sherdeana Owens Presents Texas Tooth Steps
Dr. Sherdeana Owens, DDS, MPA brings the Texas Tooth Step Program to the Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby! a community health fair in Corpus Christi, on January 28, 2023.
TxOHC Member Announcement
We are pleased to welcome the following new members in 2023.
Organizational Members:
- Oral Health Industries
Erik Harrington, DDS, PhD, Owner
Dallas, TX
Individual Members:
- Destinni Zimmerman
Student of Dental Hygiene at El Centro, Dallas College
Terrell, TX - Edith Granados
Student of Dental Hygiene at El Centro, Dallas College
Irving, TX
2023 Texas Oral Health Conference Survey
The Texas Oral Health Conference (TOHC) Partners have begun conference planning for 2023 and have a few questions we would like your input on in order to provide an exceptional oral health conference for your learning pleasure.
Please respond to this brief survey by Friday, January 27, 2023 and let us know your preferences.
TOHC Survey: https://bit.ly/23TOHCSurvey
Thank you in advance for your consideration and time to respond.
Now is the Time to Join or Renew Your TxOHC Membership for 2023!
TxOHC provides opportunities for members to:
- Share your strategies with peers and learn innovative approaches from early adopters.
- Lead your community toward equitable oral health with advocacy efforts.
- Contribute your knowledge to publications and scientific resources.
- Connect with other advocates through events and member-only opportunities.
- Access support through professional development, advocacy training, and peer networking.
- Stay connected to funding opportunity notices, webinars, workshops, and employment leads.
Thank you so much for your consideration to continue your support of the Texas Oral Health Coalition, it is through our members that our diverse portfolio of work interests continues to increase allowing us to encourage collaboration to foster whole-person health, eliminate oral disparities and address health inequalities for all Texans.
Please renew your active membership by January 30, 2023, to keep your membership active and avoid a disruption in your benefits and communications.
Thank you again for your continued support of the Coalition and we look forward to your participation in 2023.
Renew Membership Online
Join TxOHC as a new member
For those that prefer hard copies and wish to mail their form and check in, please complete this fillable form, print and mail it with your payment to:
Texas Oral Health Coalition, Inc.
4614 Bowie Dr.
Midland, TX 79703
a silicone sippy spout with a colored plastic lid, collar and handle,
a silicone sippy spout and a straw spout with colored plastic lid, collar and handle, or a silicone straw with plastic screw-on flip cap. The tracking number is printed on the bottom base.
Hazard: The recalled stainless-steel bottles and cups bottom base can break off, exposing a solder dot that contains lead, posing a lead poisoning hazard to the child. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children, and can cause adverse health effects.
Learn more at: https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/Green-Sprouts-Recalls-Toddlers-Stainless-Steel-Bottles-and-Cups-Due-to-Lead-Poisoning-Hazard-Recall-Alert.
National Oral Health Conference
The National Oral Health Conference (NOHC) is “the premier meeting” for those interested in continuing education and networking opportunities within the discipline of Dental Public Health. This will be the 24th joint meeting of the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) and the American Association of Public Health Dentistry (AAPHD). This conference is designed for dentists, dental hygienists, health researchers, dental/health educators, legislators, public health officials, Medicaid/CHIP dental program staff or consultants, state/territorial dental directors, county/city/local dental directors, community health center personnel, students, school-based and school-linked health center personnel, federally-employed dental personnel, as well as, dental manufacturers/distributors and dental insurance companies – in short, anyone interested in engaging in collaboration to improve the oral health of the public.
We invite you to join us in Orlando, FL on April 15 & 16, 2023 for Weekend Workshops and April 17 – 19, 2023 for our conference. Please visit the conference website for details and to register.
Event registration is now open. Click here for additional information and to begin your registration.
Early Bird Pricing ends January 30, 2023
Texas Regional Oral Health Coalitions
TxOHC is excited to announce that our Coastal Bend Regional Oral Health Coalition has developed Coastal Bend resource guides for five different target populations.
These guides provide resources to address social determinants of health factors to help address adverse experiences across the lifespan for Nueces, Kleberg, Live Oak, Bee, Jim Wells counties and other counties in the Coastal Bend region.
Find the new guides and learn more about our Coastal Bend ROHC at https://txohc.org/get-involved/rohc/cb-rohc/.
Quarterly Member Meetings
The Coalition is pleased to host quarterly member meetings on the third Friday of the designated month from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM CT.
Please join regional oral health coordinators; Dr. Yashashri Urankar for Austin, Lynn Southerland for Coastal Bend, Dr. Teresita Ladrillo for Houston, Dr. Sowmya Renuka for North Central Texas, and Dr. Rebecca Davenport for San Antonio in their separate breakout rooms for the first 45 minutes. After which, everyone will return to the main room to hear all of the coalitions report out.
This is an excellent opportunity to participate at your local level. We encourage all members to actively engage in their regional coalitions to share resources, leverage innovative information and create viable solutions to address local challenges.
If you are a TxOHC member and have not joined your regional coalition, you may do so here.
Upcoming meetings:
- Friday, February 17, 2023
Registration is complimentary but required at https://bit.ly/QtrMtg to receive your meeting link and passcode.
2023 Texas Legislative Session
The 2023 session began: Tuesday, January 10, 2023 and TxOHC is monitoring several bills related to oral health being filed. If you would like to look at the list of bills we are monitoring, please visit https://txohc.org/advocacy/texas-legislative-update/. TxOHC will be adding bills and updating the status of these bills as they move through the legislature, so please stay tuned and look for any calls to action.
National Children’s Dental Health Month
The 2023 National Children’s Dental Health Month theme is “Brush, Floss, Smile.” This month-long national health observance brings together thousands of dedicated dental professionals, healthcare providers, oral health champions, and others to promote the benefits of good oral health and prevention to children and adults, caregivers, teachers, and many others.
Celebrate with TxOHC on social media to educate others on the importance of oral health to total body health across the lifespan by liking, commenting, and sharing our social media messages.
New Resources from ECLKC
Resources to Make You Smile!
The Office of Head Start’s Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center (ECLKC) produces a monthly newsletter, Resources to Make You Smile!, that features information and tools Head Start staff can use to help families promote good oral health. These tips help Head Start staff support families, pregnant people, and children. The January 2023 issue, “Toothbrushing in Head Start Programs,” is about how Head Start staff promote good oral health by teaching and facilitating healthy habits for children and the importance of Head Start programs to return to in-class brushing as an effective measure to prevent tooth decay.
Learn more about this newsletter here.
Engaging Families of Children with Disabilities
ECLKC also recently introduced resources on engaging families of children with disabilities. Learning about the hopes and goals of families of children with disabilities is important. It is equally crucial to communicate to families in culturally and linguistically responsive and appropriate ways. This helps build and strengthen the partnership between you and the family. This strong partnership will support the family’s active involvement in the special education process, including screenings, evaluations, Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSP), Individualized Education Plans (IEP), and transitions.
These resources highlight relationship-based practices used to partner with families of children with disabilities, from program entry through the transition to kindergarten.
ECLKC Oral Health Alert: Focus on Pregnancy
This quarterly compilation of recent journal articles and other resources about oral health and home visiting and early childhood systems is compiled by Susan Lorenzo of the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC).
Articles- Comprehensive Pregnancy Dental Benefits Improved Dental Coverage and Increased Dental Care Utilization Among Medicaid-Enrolled Pregnant Women in Virginia.
Naavaal S, Harless DW. 2022. Frontiers in Oral Health. DOI: 10.3389/froh.2022.989659. View full text - Incarceration Exposure and Women’s Oral Health Experiences During Pregnancy.
Testa A, Fahmy C. 2022. Social Science and Medicine. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115467. View abstract - Maternal Factors and Risk of Early Childhood Caries: A Prospective Cohort Study.
Foxman B, Davis E, Neiswanger K, McNeil D, Shaffer J, Marazita ML. 2022. Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology. DOI: 10.1111/cdoe.12794. View abstract - Maternal Oral Health Framework: Integration of Oral Health Into Perinatal Care.
Barillas W, Lee H. 2022. Journal of Public Health Policy. DOI: 10.1057/s41271-022-00366-6. View full text - Racial and Oral Health Disparity Associated With Perinatal Oral Health Care Utilization Among Underserved US Pregnant Women.
Al Jallad N, Vasani S, Wu TT, Cacciato R, Thomas M, Lababede N, Lababede A, Xiao J. 2022. Quintessence International. DOI: 10.3290/j.qi.b3095001. View abstract
Materials and Other Resources
Resources from the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC)- Considerations for Identifying Pregnancies in Claims Data for Oral Health Care Quality Measurements (2022)
- Opioids and Pregnant Women: Information for Oral Health Professionals (2022)
- Oral Health Care During Pregnancy: A National Consensus Statement, Pharmacological Considerations for Pregnant Women (table updated 2022)
- Oral Health Resource Bulletin: Volume 49 (2022)
- Oral Health Risk Assessment Questions to Ask Pregnant Women (2022)
- Title V National Performance Measure 13 (Oral Health): Fiscal Year 2021 Snapshot (2022)
- Online Library
OHRC’s online library contains over 3,000 resources to assist professionals (you!) in providing education and training, developing programs, and staying abreast of new developments. Featured topics include Oral Health During Pregnancy and Pregnancy Guidelines. - OHRC Update
Subscribe to OHRC Update for announcements about new and updated resources, website features, and other resources of interest. View December 2022 issue - OHRC Staff
Reach out to OHRC staff for assistance on oral health issues such as educational materials, Head Start, integrating oral health care and primary care, prenatal care, Title V national performance measure on oral health (NPM 13), and adapting or reproducing OHRC materials.
TxOHC Board of Directors
If you are a TxOHC member and interested in taking a more active role within the Coalition, we are looking to build a pool of potential board members. Please complete this interest application to let us know of your interest.
To learn more about the Coalition and our activities, please visit our website at https://txohc.org or contact us at info@txohc.org for more information.
Many thanks to our Organizational Members for your support and collaboration!
With much appreciation and sincerest gratitude, we wish to thank our 2022 Coalition Partners!
Your Contribution Matters
Please make plans to contribute to your favorite nonprofit either through AmazonSmile, by choosing TxOHC as your charity as you do your online shopping, or by the donation button below.
TxOHC is also raising funds with Planet Green Recycle through our ink cartridges recycling fundraiser. Click here to request your FREE USPS shipping label to recycle your inks. Be sure to type in our Program ID Code: 32140 when completing the shipping form.
Your contribution is essential to our continued efforts and will make a real difference in the lives of thousands of your neighbors. Please share in our vision to make optimal health a reality for all Texans. Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to you joining our efforts to continue this forward momentum.
The National Oral Health Conference (NOHC) is “the premier meeting” for those interested in continuing education and networking opportunities within the discipline of Dental Public Health. This will be the 24th joint meeting of the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) and the American Association of Public Health Dentistry (AAPHD). This conference is designed for dentists, dental hygienists, health researchers, dental/health educators, legislators, public health officials, Medicaid/CHIP dental program staff or consultants, state/territorial dental directors, county/city/local dental directors, community health center personnel, students, school-based and school-linked health center personnel, federally-employed dental personnel, as well as, dental manufacturers/distributors and dental insurance companies – in short, anyone interested in engaging in collaboration to improve the oral health of the public.
The 2023 session began: Tuesday, January 10, 2023 and TxOHC is monitoring several bills related to oral health being filed. If you would like to look at the list of bills we are monitoring, please visit 
The 2023 National Children’s Dental Health Month theme is 
Resources to Make You Smile!
