Report Title:
Children's Oral Dental Health (SD1)
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THE SENATE |
S.R. NO. |
4 |
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TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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REQUESTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PLAN TO IMPROVE ORAL HEALTH FOR CHILDREN IN THE sTATE.
WHEREAS, oral health is integral to general health and well-being; and
WHEREAS, the genetic patterning of development in utero reveals the intimate relationship of oral tissues to the developing brain and to tissues of the face and head that surround the mouth; and
WHEREAS, today, oral health means much more than healthy teeth: it means being free of chronic oral-facial pain conditions, oral and pharyngeal (throat) cancers, oral soft tissue lesions, birth defects such as cleft lip and palate, and scores of other diseases and disorders that affect the oral, dental, and craniofacial tissues, collectively known as the craniofacial complex; and
WHEREAS, these are tissues whose functions allow us to speak and smile; smell, taste, touch, chew, and swallow; and convey feelings and emotions through facial expressions; and
WHEREAS, in fact, the interdependence between oral health and general health is well-established: new research points to associations between chronic oral infections and heart and lung diseases, stroke, and low-birth weight, and premature births; and
WHEREAS, associations between periodontal disease and diabetes have also been long noted; and
WHEREAS, to prevent these health problems from developing and to encourage optimal health care, oral health must begin from birth and continue through adulthood; and
WHEREAS, oral health is such a critical component of health that it must be included in the provision of comprehensive health care and the design of community programs for children; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2001, that this body requests the Department of Health (DOH), in cooperation with the Department of Education (DOE), to develop a plan to improve oral health for children in the State; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the plan include:
(1) Improving children's access to oral health, including the factors that impede access to oral health care, such as monetary hardship, lack of insurance, and transportation and other logistical difficulties in obtaining oral health care;
(2) Enhancing public awareness and health literacy regarding the importance of oral health for children; and
(3) Providing increased opportunities to educate students about the importance of oral health, good nutrition, and effective dental hygiene and other prevention measures;
and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that dental hygienists in the State of Hawaii be allowed to be a part of the comprehensive health care plan and further be included in the design for community programs for children; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DOH, in cooperation with DOE, submit the plan with its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2002; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, the Superintendent of Education and the Hawaii Dental Hygienists' Association.