Infographic: Progress in Oral Health Care and Dental Hygiene Among North Dakota Third Grade Students: 2014-2022

More than half of the third-grade students in North Dakota had dental sealants on their back teeth in the most recent school year

Infographic: Equity Opportunities: Income: need for dental care among third grade students in North Dakota

We have third grade students in North Dakota whose dental care needs are not being met. Programs, providers, and initiatives need to focus on providing equal access to preventive dental care supplies and educational resources to support good dental hygiene. Children attending schools where more than 50% of the students are eligible for the national school lunch program (NSLP) have a significantly higher need for early or urgent dental care and a higher rate of rampant decay compared to those attending schools with less than 50% of students eligible for the NSL

Infographic: Equity Opportunities: Race and Ethnicity: Need For Dental Care Among Third Grade Students In North Dakota

Third grade students who are American Indian or Black/African American have a significantly higher need for early or urgent dental care than those who are non-Hispanic white. Those who are American Indian or Hispanic/Latinx have a significantly higher rate of rampant decay than those who are non-Hispanic white

Report: North Dakota Department of Health Oral Health Program: Full Evaluation of the Oral Health Program’s Activities under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Grant, State Actions to Improve Oral Health Outcomes

The Mission of the North Dakota Department of Health (ND DoH) Oral Health Program (OHP) is to improve the oral health of all North Dakotans through prevention and education. Funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) State Actions to Improve Oral Health Outcomes enables the OHP to implement oral health promotion and prevention activities that address targeted need within the state. Component one of the grant addresses oral health disparities by both maintaining the existing public health capacity among the OHP, and identifying, implementing, evaluating, and disseminating best practices for oral health promotion and disease prevention among vulnerable populations. To measure reach of the school-based dental sealant program (SEAL!ND), the evaluation team interviewed OHP team members and reviewed data collected at the dental screenings. To assess the efficacy of CWF activities, the evaluation team interviewed OHP staff members, reviewed policies and training on CWF, and developed evaluation tools to assess any training on the topic of water fluoridation for diverse audiences. To assess the data surveillance plan, the evaluation team reviewed data collection procedures, interviewed OHP staff and leadership, and reviewed all dissemination materials utilized to share oral health data

Perceived Advising Needs Of Adult Learners: A Qualitative Analysis Of Advising Experiences Among Online, Classroom, & Cohort Adult Learners

This phenomenological study sought to investigate, understand, and make meaning of the perceived advising experiences among nine adult learners. Participants were students pursuing their Master\u27s degrees in a department of education at one public university in the upper Midwest. This research explored and described the advising experiences among, and within, three learning environments to include online, classroom, and cohort. Three adult learners from each learning environment were interviewed either in person or through an electronic video system. Participants were asked seven standard questions, but question order and follow-up varied as a result of the emergent design of the study. Students were also asked to conceptualize meaning of their responses to afford greater detail. Interviews were transcribed and data were reviewed through thematic analysis. Interviews were coded; codes were evaluated and organized into categories of experience/need which led to the development of themes and a discussion of the central phenomenon. The identified themes were peer reviewed and went through member checking to ensure valid interpretation. In addition, the final themes and conclusions were reviewed and compared to the eight principles of effective advising for adult learners, as proposed by the Council on Adult and Experiential Learning (2000). The experience of good advisement was collectively defined as the product of both the person (the advisor) and the advisor\u27s required tasks of advising. All stated characteristics of a good advisor, and expectations of good advising, were identified as necessary for adult learner satisfaction. The adult learners identified good advisement as an important, holistic, complex practice requiring an involved, passionate, trustworthy advisor working within a strong advising system. Only one category of need was specific to students\u27 learning environments - immediacy of response. All adult learners identified the need for frequent, immediate communication, preferably through email. However, on-campus learners needed to hear from their advisor within two days, cohort learners were willing to wait 24 hours for a response, and online learners required notification from their advisor within hours, would be frustrated beyond 24 hours, and would begin to significantly worry by the 48th hour

Dental Student Report: Rotations at a Federally Qualified Health Center in North Dakota

North Dakota has no dental school to encourage student enrollment. Recognizing the need to address dental workforce shortages, and barriers to recruiting new dental professionals to the state, the North Dakota Department of Health & Human Services Oral Health Program (OHP) and the North Dakota Area Health Education Center financially support dental rotations at one Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in North Dakota: Spectra Healt

Report: Evaluation of SEAL!ND: School Year 2021-2022: North Dakota Department of Health Oral Health Program’s School-Based Dental Sealant Program

The North Dakota Department of Health (DoH)a Oral Health Program (OHP)b has established a school-based dental sealant program, (SEAL!ND)c , which has been providing dental sealants, fluoride varnish applications, oral health education and dental screenings and referrals for students throughout North Dakota dating back to 2012. All services occur in the school during school hours. School-based sealant programs are a highly effective way to deliver preventive oral health services and dental sealants to children less likely to receive private dental care. The SEAL!ND program prioritizes providing preventive oral health care to low-income and underserved students by targeting schools with 45% or greater of their students enrolled in the free and reduced-fee school lunch (FRFSL) program. The OHP Prevention Coordinator identifies eligible schools utilizing data from the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (DPI). d Although schools with a larger proportion of youth who are living in lower-income households are prioritized and covered under federal grant support, additional schools participate in SEAL!ND and receive care from local dental providers

The relationship between diabetes and oral health status, and dental visits among American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian elders

Background: American Indian (AI), Alaska Native (AN), and Native Hawaiian (NH) populations report higher rates of diabetes, poorer oral health, and fewer dental visits than their peers. The authors aimed to identify relationships between oral health and dental visits and diabetes diagnosis among AI, AN, and NH elders. Methods: Data were obtained from a national survey of AI, AN, and NH elders 55 years and older (April 2014-2017) and included 16,136 respondents. Frequencies and c2 tests were used to assess the relationship between oral health and dental visits, and diabetes. Results: Nearly one-half of the elders reported receiving a diagnosis of diabetes (49.2%). A significantly (P \u3c .01) greater proportion of elders with diabetes reported a dental visit in the past year (57.8%) than those without. Differences (P \u3c .01) were found between reported diabetes and need for extraction, denture work, and relief of dental pain. The authors found lower dental visit rates among elders with diabetes who were low income, older, unemployed, not enrolled in the tribe, lived on the reservation, and had only public insurance. Conclusions: There is a need to increase oral health literacy and dental visits among elders with diabetes and, more urgently, a need to focus on providing care for subpopulations reporting lower visit rates. Practical Implications: Dental providers must serve as a referral resource for at-risk elders and must work with and educate about the importance of oral health those who assist tribal elders with diabetes management, including primary care physicians, certified diabetes educators, nutritionists and dietitians, and public health care professionals

Report: North Dakota Alzheimer’s and dementia state plan: Current status of, and recommendations for, meeting the needs of individuals and families with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias

North Dakota reports the fourth highest mortality rate for Alzheimer’s disease in the United States (U.S.) at 52.9 per 100,000 North Dakota residents. The rate for the U.S. is 37 per 100,000 residents. Although leading in mortality, North Dakota is one of a few states with a State Plan for Alzheimer’s and Dementia over 12 years old. This plan was written in July of 2007 and is less than two pages. Although it does mention Alzheimer’s and other other dementias, it does not specifically outline a plan to address services for those living with, or supporting those living with, dementia in North Dakota. This current state plan, developed in 2021, reviewed existing data, involved stakeholders and community members, and identified strengths in the current plan as well as opportunities to reach the following vision: Create an inclusive community and health system that understands, respects, and supports persons who are at-risk of or diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and their caregivers

Toolkit: Strengthening resilience: Promoting positive school mental health among Indigenous youth

The purpose of this document is to provide tools for k-12 educators, administrators, and mental health treatment providers to better address the learning and behavioral health needs of Indigenous youth in a holistic manner. It is also a resource for faculty working in higher education to prepare future professionals, particularly those planning to work in tribal communities with children and youth. The focus of this document is on the resilience and well-being of Indigenous youth in a historical context. The historical review provides a greater understanding of the role of boarding schools, forced colonization, and assimilation resulting in cultural genocide and their impacts on education. Strengthening Resilience: Promoting Positive Mental Health Among Indigenous Youth identifies how unmet needs can be addressed through a fictitious case scenario, focusing on resilience and culturally responsive practices. The document also addresses the role of trauma to assist educators and providers to advance a greater understanding of the cultural context of Indigenous youth. Strategies and resources are provided to include the Seven Teachings1 and the Circle of Courage2 that can be incorporated into traditional teachings in the k-12 curriculums and adapted in any school. This results in opportunities to teach all youth about the traditional practices of Indigenous populations. Finally, a host of resources are provided that are easily accessible to the reader who wishes to learn more about school-based responses that can be effective in working with Indigenous youth. The resources are based on best practices and include increasing cultural awareness of tribal history, language, and culture within the full continuum of educational and behavioral health response. This document serves as a supplement to the technical assistance efforts provided by Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) titled Building Capacity of School Personnel to Promote Mental Health in Native American Children and Youth. The focus of the training was to build capacity of school teams to promote positive mental health throughout the school day through embedded strategies in response to mental health needs of children and youth