Dental Public Health & Research: Advocacy for Dental Care Notes

Change Agent Background

• Change agents are vital for recognizing available resources and understanding opposition to changes in dental care.

Advocacy

• Dental hygienists should prioritize changes in dental public health.

Understanding Change

• Change is the transition from one state to another, which can occur suddenly or gradually.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Dental hygienists play a crucial role in advocating for patients' health by influencing:
  • Behavioral changes in patients
  • Alterations to dental office protocols
  • Modifications of dental products used
  • Legislative and regulatory changes in dental hygiene practice

Roles of the Dental Hygiene Change Agent

• Responsibilities include:
  • Catalyst: Initiates change processes.
  • Solution Giver: Provides actionable solutions.
  • Resource Linker: Connects individuals to necessary resources.
  • Process Helper: Assists in the change management process.

Actions and Performance

• Actions necessary for change include:
  • Modifying
  • Altering
  • Transforming

The Change Agent in Action

• Key activities involved:
  • Policy Making: Contributing to public health policy development.
  • Collaboration and Partnership: Engaging with various stakeholders.
  • Coalition Building: Forming groups focused on shared goals.
  • Grant Writing: Securing funding for initiatives.

Components of a Planned Change

1. Assessment:
   • Identify the need for change and gather data on the problem.
2. Diagnosis:
   • Determine the underlying issues causing the need for change.
3. Planning:
   • Develop solutions or approaches to address the problem.
4. Implementation:
   • Execute the change plan and monitor for potential issues.
5. Evaluation:
   • Assess whether the desired outcomes have been achieved and stabilize the change by providing necessary incentives.
6. Documentation:
   • Maintain thorough records of all processes involved in the change initiative.

Key Competencies of Dental Change Agents

• Vision: Awareness of evolving trends in dental care and their impact.
• Collaboration: Skill in forming effective partnerships with stakeholders.
• Communication: Strong interpersonal skills; focused on active listening.
• Negotiation: Ability to persuade and influence others towards shared objectives.

Collaborative Style for Reaching Agreements

• Prepare:
  • Collect relevant facts and plan alternatives.
• Affirm Relationships:
  • Communicate courteously, acknowledge issues, and respect others' opinions.
• Understand Interests:
  • Focus on mutual interests, explore creative solutions.

Standard Components of a Grant Proposal

• Major components include:
  • Cover Letter: Project title, organization details, funding requests.
  • Needs Statement: Document the problem with supporting data.
  • Project Description: Goals, methods, and timelines.
  • Evaluation Plan: Measuring project success and sharing findings.
  • Budget Justification: Detail on costs and funding requirements.

Coalition Building

• Critical for implementing change, ensuring diverse participation, and addressing community needs.
• Goals of coalitions include influencing public policy, changing behavior, and fostering healthy communities.

Barriers to Creating Coalitions

• Domination by elite professionals may overlook community involvement.
• Poor community links necessitate building relationships among diverse stakeholders.
• Funding challenges pose significant obstacles to coalition success.
• Effective leadership is crucial for maintaining coalition objectives.

Policy Making in Government

• Policies result from research and set rules governing actions within dental care.
• Ethical guidelines inform what is considered right or wrong in policy creation.

National, State, and Local Health Policies

• National policies focus on public health interests; State policies implement federal directives; Local policies tailor health initiatives to community specifics.

Lobbying for Policy Change

• Effective lobbying relies on relationships and provides strategic advice on influencing policy and decision-makers.

Collaboration and Partnerships

• Essential for achieving common goals, these relationships depend on cooperation and mutual benefit.

Grant Writing

• A method to secure funding for community needs, where one must effectively articulate the rationale for financial support.

Advocacy in Dental Hygiene

• Dental hygienists can lead initiatives for enhanced Medicaid coverage, water fluoridation, and funding for preventative oral health programs.

Water Fluoridation Benefits

• Reduces dental decay by 25-45%, prevents loss of school hours due to dental disease, and offers significant economic savings for public health investment.