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When should children have their first dental check up? Since baby teeth will fall out anyway, why should we worry about what happens to them? Should women see a dentist while pregnant? Where can one go for affordable dental care? Who helps seniors cover the cost of dental visits? What if they need dentures? What has DC done to ensure that oral health is included in the health care reform debate?
This month, I introduce Dr. Emanuel Finn. He is DC’s key oral health policymaker. I met Finn when he served as a panelist at a June 2009 symposium on children’s oral health. Finn had read the East of the River article (January 2009) titled, “Dental Health Care: Is It Worth It?”
Introducing Emanuel Finn, DDS, MS
Talk about success stories with strong roots in the District of Columbia! Though Finn was born and raised in the Caribbean nation of Dominica, he came to the United States as a teenager and attended the University of the District of Columbia. Finn graduated with a degree in chemistry from UDC and then earned his doctorate from Howard University’s School of Dentistry and a Masters in Health Policy and Administration from the New School University in NYC. He was dental director of the Community Health Center of Newburgh, NY, before returning to DC to serve as a 2000-2001 Congressional Policy Fellow of the American Association for the Advance of Science and the American Dental Association.
Early in 2002, Finn met Dr. Henrí Treadwell, principal investigator of Community Voices, a W.K. Kellogg Foundation program for the medically underserved. Treadwell invited Finn to serve as the program’s DC dental consultant. In late 2002, Finn became DC’s chief of the Division of Oral Health. Finn also chairs the Membership Committee of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry. In addition, he is a board member of the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors and chairs its Emergency Preparedness Committee. Finn resides in Washington, DC, with his wife Chrissie and young daughters Sari and Alanna.
The Division of Oral Health
Hidden within the DC Department of Health is the Division of Oral Health. I use the term “hidden” because before meeting Finn, I found it a challenge to direct individuals to a central source of information on dental/oral health care in DC. As chief of the Division of Oral Health, Finn is the key person for DC’s dental and oral health policy.
For more than two decades, there was no DC Division of Oral Health. It had been abolished in the 1980s due to budget cuts. During this time, DC General coordinated oral health services, but the focus was clinical, not policy or program. Without set policies, dental health programs and services for residents of the DC will remain scattered, fragmented and hidden. Therefore, it is important to focus not only on clinical aspects, but also on policy and program planning. Without proper planning and policy initiatives, wasteful duplication of services and resources often results. This leads those most in need of services to fall between the cracks.
Under Finn’s direction, the school-based dental program has been re-established. The focus is on preventive dental care, including cleaning, oral screening, and dental sealants. Davis Elementary School, my neighborhood school for grades one through six, was one of the schools targeted thus far. In his position as DC’s chief of oral health, Finn is charged with developing oral health policies and sharing them with other dental health and medical professionals, policymakers and the public. He coordinates the objectives of “Healthy People 2010.” This article is just one step of Finn’s plan to get the word out about his office.
The Disconnect Between Oral Health and Overall Health
Studies have shown that oral health is very much connected to overall health. The following are just a few examples.
In June 2009, I met a pregnant woman who was in great need of dental care. She had visited an emergency room for the mind-numbing pain she experienced day after day. She was hospitalized and was told she needed to see a dentist immediately. She was bounced around between providers while waiting for her first prenatal visit. It was scheduled for more than three weeks later; in the meantime, she practiced self-help for her pain. What did she do? She took large doses of Tylenol and Advil. She increased the number of cigarettes she smoked since smoking eased her pain slightly. She was not eating properly because her mouth hurt so badly. She had no energy and felt depressed.
Parents of toddlers and preschoolers report having no idea of when to take their children to a dentist. They question if it is important to have dental work done on rotted teeth that will be replaced by new teeth anyway.
Mothers complain about taking time off from work to bring their children to the dentist once or twice a year. They report how hard it is to find a dentist who accepts Medicaid. Parents without dental insurance ask what they should do when they cannot afford to pay for dental checkups.
These stories show how important it is for the public, health care advocates, physicians and dentists to get on the same page regarding oral health. Medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer and systemic infections are often discovered early through regular dental checkups. Just keep in mind the sad, sad story of Deamonte Driver, the 12-year-old from Baltimore who died from lack of proper dental care.
Dr. Finn – Mentor to DC Youth
This July, I had the pleasure of meeting two of the four teens who work with Finn under the mayor’s Summer Youth Program. Both young women have beautiful bright smiles and equally bright futures.
Tierra Thornton is a junior at Ballou High School in Southeast DC. She plans to become a crime scene investigator (CSI) since she enjoys “finding out different things” about “people dying.” Tierra reported that she has “met new friends and new people like Dr. Finn.” Finn and others in the Department of Health exposed her to a good “work ethic and how to act when in the workplace.” This summer, Tierra worked with Project WISH where she made appointments for women ages 45-50, for mammograms and pap smears for breast and cervical cancer screenings, respectively. Tierra also sent out thank-you cards and had administrative duties. She noted, “Some diseases can mess up your mouth. Brush two to three times a day. Eat healthy foods. Don’t eat a lot of candies.” Finn praised Tierra for being “so focused.” He hopes to find funding for her to return to work with him this school year and next summer.
Shamiyah Shorter is the second teen I had the pleasure to meet in Finn’s office. Shamiyah, who wants to be a lawyer, is a student of SEED Public Charter School, class of 2011. She did administrative work to check Medicaid dental insurance eligibility for all ages. Shamiyah reported that her summer job was helping her to “be prepared” for the future.
Get Information and Get Involved
Finn invites health care providers, health advocates and the public to contact him at 202-442-9395 or Justice Armattoe at 202-442-9395 or visit www.doh.dc.gov for more information on oral health care in DC.
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