Minnesota's New Horizons in Dental Public Health: Thriving at the Forefront of Evidence-Based Strategies for Health Transformation - Minnesota is consistently ranked among the healthiest states in the nation; however, Minnesota is also home to some of the most significant health disparities in the country between white residents and communities of color, American Indians, and people living in rural areas or from low-income families. Many communities living in poverty as well as Dental-Health Professional Shortage Areas (Dental-HPSAs) experience systemic barriers that lead to higher dental disease burden and associated health data disparities, notably among Black, Indigenous, and communities of color. Five of ten Minnesota children have had tooth decay. This preventable chronic disease disproportionally impacts Hispanic third graders and those in rural public schools. Diabetic residents are more likely to have advanced gum disease (periodontitis) and less likely to have seen a dentist. The CDC-RFA-DP-24-0048 grant will enable MDH to build on the past years of success in addressing oral health disparities by supporting interventions and practices to address oral disease in populations of focus. Interventions include community water fluoridation, delivery of evidence-based preventive dental services (EBPDS) to school-aged children, and infection prevention and control (IPC) activities. MDH prioritizes using secondary data analysis to inform the future integration of medical and dental services for individuals with diabetes who have risk factors for negative health outcomes. The long-term outcomes for this NOFO for each component are: CWF: Decreased untreated decay, especially in communities with water systems serving 10,000 or fewer people and among populations lacking access to fluoridated water systems. Data analysis to support medical dental integration and EBPDS: Increased access to integrated medical and dental services among people with diabetes and reduced disparities in receipt of EBPDS across sociodemographic characteristics leading to decreased decay in populations of focus. IPC: Increased adherence to IPC Standard Precautions and other infection prevention recommendations across traditional non-traditional settings. Expanding our approach to be inclusive of diversity, cultures, lived experience, and the intergenerational effects of persistent inequities is a natural progression for this collective work. In collaboration with other CDC-funded and non-funded MN partners, proposed activities will be rooted in a whole-person view of health, designed to support a culture of health that is inclusive of community assets and responsive to social support needs. This work will be guided by an Evaluation Advisory Group (EAG) that will use a community-engaged approach to co-identify barriers to positive health outcomes and opportunities to co-create solutions to be tested and evaluated for impact. These strategic interventions are planned in partnership with health systems, community organizations, and strategic partners from multiple sectors and are informed by the MN State Oral Health Plan (SOHP)2020-2030.
