The following news and resources are featured by the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC). 

Discussion Paper and Workshop from the National Academy of Medicine
A new paper from the National Academy of Medicine, Integration of Oral Health and Primary Care: Communication, Coordination and Referral, discusses challenges in integrating primary care and oral health care for populations with low health literacy. The paper, by Kathryn Atchison, Gary Rozier, and Jane Weintraub, provides background on the issues and focuses on weaknesses in the areas of communication, coordination, and referral. Specific topics include referral networks, risk management, clinical referral guidelines, performance measures, electronic tools and integrated health records, interprofessional education and collaborative practice, research, and demonstration programs. A companion workshop, Integrating Dental and General Health Through Health Literacy Practices, will be held in Washington, DC, on December 6, 2018. 

National and State Level Estimates from NSCH
The Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative has released the combined 2016-2017 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) estimates through the Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health’s (DRC) Interactive Data Query. The combined 2016-2017 NSCH is the first multi-year data set since the redesign of the NSCH in 2016. Combining the data from both years of the NSCH increases the sample size available for research. For more information and resources on the NSCH, such as fast facts, guides to topics and questions, survey methodology, survey instruments, visit the DRC NSCH overview page.
 

2017 Child and Adult Core Sets from CMSC
The Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) has released federal fiscal year 2017 Child and Adult Core Set data and additional resources. There is information on 20 frequently reported child measures and 19 frequently reported adult measures voluntarily reported by states. The child core set supports federal and state efforts to collect, report, and use a standardized set of measures to improve the quality of care provided to children covered by Medicaid and CHIP. The fact sheet, Quality of Care for Children and Adults in Medicaid and CHIP: Overview of Findings from the 2017 Child and Adult Core Sets, provides a summary.
 

Resources for Families

Scholastic Teams with Give Kids A Smile
Tiny Smiles, a Give Kids A Smile® Program, is a collaboration of the American Dental Association Foundation and Scholastic. Find free materials in English and Spanish to help educate patients and their families about oral health for kids from birth to age 5. The kit includes fun activity sheets, tips to share with parents, and a mini-poster to display in the office or classroom. After using the materials, oral health providers can complete an online survey for a chance to win one of 50 sets of books worth $100. Program quantities are limited and will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.