APHA Oral Health Section

Wrapped up my last in-person trip of 2024! Public health has a long road ahead. This last year is a testament that we are not alone and are stronger together. Here are some of the highlights of conferences and meetings for the year: ☕️ Presented on integration initiatives at NOHC and enjoyed a well-deserved coffee break with my dear Sarah from OHRC. (I can never get a pic with this crew 😅) 🦷 Enjoyed and shared lots of information on health equity, access, and innovations at ADHA and APHA with a special highlight of connecting with my RDH study buddy from my days at UNM.  💥 Can’t do an annual update without mentioning the NNOHA Conference. I’m still riding that high 🙌🏼 🩷 Learning collaboratives galore - from diabetes to anti-racism. I am so grateful to learn with FQHC clinicians, operations staff, front desk professionals, and leaders.

Whole-Person Health and Medical Dental Integration is the latest special issue edited by Lisa J. Heaton, PhD, Eric Tranby, and Tamanna Tiwari. It discusses different perspectives on implementing medical-dental-behavioral integration to provide comprehensive, whole-person care. CareQuest Institute for Oral Health #wholeperonhealth #oralhealthishealth Colman McGrath Daniel W. McNeil Luis Limo Patty Braun Vinodh Bhoopathi Anthea Jeftha Shenam Ticku

Congratulations Dr Scott (שלמה) Tomar from University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry. What an amazing evening celebrating! Thanks for your leadership and mentorship.

Did you read the recently released and riveting Oral Heath Surveillance Report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention?! Selected findings include: - Half of children aged 6 to 9 years have had cavities in their primary or permanent teeth. - 1 in 5 adults aged 20 to 64 years had at least one untreated cavity. - More than 1 in 7 adults aged 65 or older had lost all their teeth. https://lnkd.in/gURMfZSU

Reflecting on an Inspiring #APHA2024 experience as a first-time attendee at APHA2024, I'm thrilled to share the highlights of this incredible journey: Research Presentations I had the privilege of presenting a poster on "Enhancing HPV Vaccine Promotion in Dental Practices" at APHA Oral Health Section under Dr. Stacey Griner's guidance and delivering an oral presentation on "Mixed Methods in Studying Acculturation Stress Among Older Asian Indian American Immigrants" with Dr. Malinee Neelamegam. Our session, moderated by Dr. Arnab Mukherjea, was a truly enriching experience. I am grateful for the guidance and support from my advisors. Leadership Opportunity Moderating an oral session on "Aligning Public Health Efforts to Promote Healthy Aging in Rural Communities" allowed me to engage with professionals working to improve lives and broadened my perspective on public health challenges and solutions. Networking and Representation Representing the University of North Texas Health Science Center College of Public Health at the exhibition was a proud moment. I also attended The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) social event, reconnecting with colleagues and Dr. Jenil Patel. The South Asian Public Health Association (SAPHA)'s Chai and Chat session was another highlight, providing a unique opportunity to interact with luminaries like Dr. Umair A. Shah, M.D., M.P.H. and Dr. Arnab Mukherjea. It was inspiring to see such a robust platform for the South Asian population in public health. Recognition I'm proud to share that my advisor, Dr. Malinee Neelamegam, received the runner-up award for the #DeltaOmega Innovative Curriculum Award at #APHA2024, a testament to the quality of mentorship I received. This conference combined education, networking, and inspiration, leaving me energized and more committed to making a difference in public health. #APHA2024 has reinforced my belief in the power of collaboration and continuous learning in advancing public health. I look forward to applying these insights in my future work and to many more such enriching experiences.

Congratulations to Brenden Smith with Michigan Department of Health & Human Services for receiving the APHA Oral Health Section Anthony Westwater Jong Population Oral Health Pre-Professional Award. A big thank you to Min Tao with Medical Advantage and Michigan State University who mentored Brenden on his public health research. #oralhealth #dentistry #publichealth

Wrapping up Day 3 of APHA participating in a dynamic roundtable session about the impact of Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) training on dental students' attitudes and self-efficacy in conducting oral health needs assessments in Indigenous communities. I was happy to shed a light into Venezuelan 🇻🇪 indigenous groups, the importance of integrating community perspectives into our research practices and the transformative effect it can have on future dental professionals. I’m grateful for the insightful discussions and connections made during this session, Solange Gordillo Priyanka Gudsoorkar Sujay Mehta Tooka Zokaie, MPH, MAS, CPH I'm inspired to continue advocating for community engagement in oral health initiatives. Together, we can drive positive change in our communities! 🔸 APHA Oral Health Section 🔸 #APHA2024 #OralHealth #CommunityEngagement #DentalEducation #EquityInHealth

Thank you Emilia Istrate for your kind words! Indeed, there is a lot to do wrt. precision oral health in light of public health dentistry. I feel incredibly honored to be selected for this lecture (big shoes to fill!), and also thank the Applied Public Health Statistics Section of APHA for providing the opportunity.

I had an incredible week attending the American Public Health Association 2024 meeting. I not only reconnected with some incredible students and faculty from University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) School of Public Health and alumni of The Fulbright Program, but I also got to make incredible new connections with people from different backgrounds, including some members of the APHA Oral Health Section. Plus! I was able to present the results and insights from my recently published article regarding Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Ecuador in the company of my co-authors and friends from Solidarity Dental: Priyanka Gudsoorkar, Sujay Mehta, and Jessica Klabak, DDS, MPH, who have been a source of knowledge and inspiration to me in the global oral health world. This experience truly represented a milestone in my career as a Public Health professional, but I still have much more to accomplish. See you next year at the #APHA2025 meeting in DC!