Committee Chair

Shirley Reddoch, MD, FAAP

For contact information, go to https://www.mdaap.org/member-pages/member-resources/.

MdAPD Liaison

Diana Capobianco, DDS

Mission

The MDAAP Oral Health Committee is dedicated to advancing the understanding of oral health as integral to overall health and well-being of the person, beginning in pregnancy and continuing through young life into adulthood. Our mission is one of pediatric medical and dental collaboration striving to optimize oral health for the pediatric population of Maryland through education and advocacy, further facilitating timely, coordinated medical and dental care.

Our Educational mission

Resources are identified and shared with patients and their parents/caregivers that:

1) address developmentally appropriate oral/dental preventive and maintenance care and encourage good dental selfcare habits.
2) bring attention to special oral health care considerations for children with complex medical or behavioral health concerns.
3) inform of other aspects of health that directly impact, or are impacted by, oral health.

Resources and interdisciplinary educational opportunities are shared with medical and dental health care professionals that:

1) introduce oral health toolkits to reinforce their patient/caregiver education.
2) reflect evidence-based recommendations on oral/dental assessment and care appropriate to the medical and/or dental care setting.
3) inform oral/dental care best practices tailored to children with medical complexity and/or behavioral health concerns.
4) facilitate and encourage collaboration between medical and dental professionals allowing for efficient time utilization in provision of care.
5) promote collaboration in investigative research and outcomes studies that enhance the knowledge and best practice of pediatric oral health care.

Our Advocacy mission

As a committee, or in individual roles, we offer pediatric medical and dental health care expertise and insights to broader advocacy for oral health resources, services, outreach, and health care coverage that benefit the pregnant and the pediatric population. That advocacy, extended through partnering in outreach and legislative efforts of the Maryland Dental Action Coalition (MDAC) and the Maryland Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (MdAPD), may also arise in connection with other private and public organizations and community oral health champions, as well as in interface with the Maryland Dept. of Health, Office of Oral Health.

Vision

That every child enjoys optimal oral health through their personal and parent/ caregiver access to the educational, health safety net, and direct care medical and dental resources necessary to experience and sustain that health.

AAP Oral Health Policy Statement 2023

Maintaining and Improving the Oral Health of Young Children

Resources

• American Academy of Pediatrics – Patient Care – Oral Health Resources and Guidance
  • American Academy of Pediatrics – Oral Health Campaign Toolkit
  • Campaign for Dental Health – Oral Health Prevention Primer
• National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
  • National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center – Networks for Oral Health Integration (NOHI) Within the Maternal and Child Health Safety Net
  • National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center –Transforming Oral Health for Families (TOHF) – Overview
  • National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center –Transforming Oral Health for Families (TOHF) Environmental Scan Chartbook July 2022 Environmental Scan 2023 Chartbook
• Maryland Dental Action Coalition (includes some Maryland specific patient and provider resources)
• Maryland Dept of Health (MDH) Office of Oral Health (includes some Maryland specific provider and patient resources)
• Maryland Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
• American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
  • AAPD Oral Health Policies & Recommendations
• American Dental Association
• Smiles for Life (a national oral health education curriculum)