Scoping review on the link between economic growth, decent work, and early childhood caries

BACKGROUND

Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is a prevalent chronic non-communicable disease that affects millions of young children globally, with profound implications for their well-being and oral health. This paper explores the associations between ECC and the targets of the Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG 8).

METHODS

The scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. In July 2023, a search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus using tailored search terms related to economic growth, decent work sustained economic growth, higher levels of productivity and technological innovation, entrepreneurship, job creation, and efforts to eradicate forced labor, slavery, and human trafficking and ECC all of which are the targets of the SDG8. Only English language publications, and publications that were analytical in design were included. Studies that solely examined ECC prevalence without reference to SDG8 goals were excluded.

RESULTS

The initial search yielded 761 articles. After removing duplicates and ineligible manuscripts, 84 were screened. However, none of the identified studies provided data on the association between decent work, economic growth-related factors, and ECC.

CONCLUSIONS

This scoping review found no English publication on the associations between SDG8 and ECC despite the plausibility for this link. This data gap can hinder policymaking and resource allocation for oral health programs. Further research should explore the complex relationship between economic growth, decent work and ECC to provide additional evidence for better policy formulation and ECC control globally.

Oral Health Care in Rural America

(1) Rural Americans are twice as likely to lose their adult teeth as their urban counterparts. (2) Seventy-two percent of the country is classified as rural, but is home to only 15 percent of the population (46.2 million people). (3) According to the Pew Center on the States, rural residents are more likely to use emergency departments for their oral health needs because of a lack of dental insurance and a shortage of dental providers.

The roles of federal legislation and evolving health care systems in promoting medical-dental collaboration

Recent federal health care legislation contains explicit and implicit drivers for medical-dental collaboration. These laws implicitly promote health care evolution through value-based financing, "big data" and health information technology, increased number of care providers and a more holistic approach. Additional changes--practice aggregation, consumerism and population health perspectives--may also influence dental care. While dentistry will likely lag behind medicine toward value-based and accountable care organizations, dentists will be affected by changing consumer expectations.

Public policy and legislation for oral health: a convergence of opportunities

The first surgeon general's report regarding oral health, Oral Health in America, called for a national effort to improve oral health among Americans and raised awareness of the importance of oral health; however, many Americans continue to experience poor oral health and are unable to access oral health care. Renewed national interest in oral health and access to oral health care through recent public policy documents and legislation presents a convergence of opportunities for the dental hygiene profession to continue to serve as a strong voice for the prevention of oral disease and the promotion of oral health for all segments of the population.

Legislative action is a sophisticated enterprise

Backroom deals and cash payoffs are fine depictions of political power in the movies. But they are ineffective in today's highly complex interaction between oral health and public policy. Three recent examples of the work of the California Dental Association's Government Affairs Council demonstrate the range of approaches that are needed to be successful. A mass-action campaign drew attention to the needs of underserved Californians and demonstrated dentists' willingness to help. Education, including visiting model programs, provided information legislators require to understand complex issues. Tightly niched grass-roots contacts from key constituents demonstrated not only interest but informed engagement.