U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona recently released a National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health at the 2003 National Oral Health Conference in Milwaukee.

This report is the latest effort to address the country's oral health needs. It builds on the Surgeon General's Oral Health in America-the landmark report released in 2000 that identified oral health as the nation's "silent epidemic." The National Call to Action is the comprehensive national strategy developed by a public-private partnership to address the serious public health issues raised in the Surgeon General's report.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that in the past six months 22 percent of adults reported some form of oral-facial pain, a common symptom of craniofacial disorders that can interfere with eating, swallowing and speech. The most common chronic childhood disease is dental caries (tooth decay), and that oral and pharyngeal cancers are diagnosed in 30,000 Americans every year. Without treatment, these diseases and disorders progress and become more complex over time.

The Surgeon General stressed the importance of prevention to ensure oral health, as well as to avoid these chronic and painful conditions.

"ADHA is pleased to report how its own initiatives complement the actions outlined in this report and looks forward to a continued effort to increase and affect change," said ADHA President Kimberly Benkert.

As licensed oral health professionals, dental hygienists focus on preventing and treating oral diseases-both to protect teeth and gums-and also to protect patients' total health. Clinical dental hygienists work and/or volunteer in a variety of health care setting that reach underserved populations, such public health clinics, hospitals, schools, managed care organizations or nursing homes, in addition to private dental offices.

Access to oral health care--an initiative promoted year-round by ADHA--is at the core of the National Call to Action. The Surgeon General called upon health care professionals to provide "alternative models of delivery of needed care for underserved populations, such as low-income children or institutionalized persons."

Over the years, ADHA has launched numerous community outreach programs, legislative initiatives and public awareness campaigns that have addressed access to oral health care in local communities and in national discussion.

In addition, ADHA has promoted professional authority for dental hygienists, who could play a significant role in increasing access to care. The National Call to Action describes a shared goal:

"No rural inhabitant, no homebound adult, no inner city dweller should experience poor oral health because of barriers to access to care and shortages of resources and personnel."

In order to reach this, the National Call to Action is implementing a set of five principal actions and strategies. are:

• Change Perceptions of Oral Health
• Overcome Barriers by Replicating Effective Programs and Proven Efforts
• Build and Science Base and Accelerate Science Transfer
• Increase Oral Health Workforce Diversity, Capacity, and Flexibility
• Increase Collaborations

To learn more about ADHA's role in the National Call to Action, visit http://www.adha.org/media/releases/050703_call_to_action.htm.

To find out more about the Surgeon General's National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health, visit http://www.hhs.gov/news.