The MouthMatters Resource Center includes documents and references useful to medical teams. All documents are free and can be downloaded or viewed online.
Category: Training
As part of Arcora Foundation’s mission to expand the arc of oral health, with no one left behind, we provide learning opportunities for different types of professionals. In doing this, we spread the message that oral health is an important part of overall health and everyone deserves a healthy mouth.
To learn more about our education offerings, please explore below.
Educating Patients: Talking About Fluoride
(1-HR, recorded webinar)
In partnership with the Washington State Dental Association and the Washington Dental Hygienists’ Association, Arcora Foundation is proud to feature this one hour webinar.
Many patients are likely to read or hear inaccurate information about fluoride or fluoridation through web searches and social media. This webinar seeks to strengthen the ability of dental professionals to have brief, productive conversations with patients about fluoride to help them achieve good oral health.
Participants will:
- Summarize recent research and clinical guidance
- Describe a step-by-step approach to engaging and educating patients
- Use role-play to assess how to engage chairside with patients
Presenters:
Matt Jacob, BA, is a public health communication and marketing consultant who lives in Washington D.C. As the owner of Jacob Strategies, he provides training and technical assistance to nonprofits, foundations, and state and local health departments. Previously, he managed communications for the Pew Children’s Dental Campaign and the Children’s Dental Health Project.
Rich Gibson, RDH, BS, serves on the Public Relations Committee and Community Fluoride Task Force with the Washington Dental Hygienists’ Association. Prior to his work in Washington, Rich worked with the Florida Dental Hygiene Association to bridge the gap between doctors and hygienists to gain approval for local anesthesia and promote community fluoride acceptance. His current position supports four doctors on Whidbey Island, providing excellent patient care and community volunteerism.
Arcora Foundation is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider. ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry. Arcora Foundation designates this activity for 1 continuing education credit.
Target Audience: This course is designed for dental professionals and others who provide patient education.
If you have questions or would like more information about this course, please contact Heather Knaplund at hknaplund@ArcoraFoundation.org.
Denture Care & Cleaning
More older adults are aging with their natural teeth but might eventually need a denture, bridge, or implant to replace missing teeth. These devices help people maintain a healthy diet as well as their appearance.
In this course, you’ll learn how to monitor or assist individuals who wear dentures with oral care—these tasks include caring for their dentures as well as caring for their mouths to maintain oral health. You’ll also learn how to help clients adjust to wearing dentures and overcome some of the nutritional challenges they face to maintain a healthy and balanced diet.
Course Topics Include:
- Describe different types of dentures
- Describe how to monitor or assist individuals to remove, brush, soak, and inspect dentures
- Describe how to monitor or assist individuals with oral health tasks
- Identify symptoms of poorly fitted dentures and denture irritation
- Describe ways to help individuals maintain a healthy diet and adjust to wearing dentures
The following professionals contributed to the creation of this course:
- Arcora Foundation Staff: Diane Oakes, MPH, MSW; Dianne Riter, MPH; and Karen Lewis, BA
- Content Experts: May Chin, RDH; Jenny Shuler, DA
- Continuing Education: This course is approved for one credit hour by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.
Target Audience: This course is designed for licensed home care aides and other types of caregivers to increase the quality of oral health care delivered to clients or loved ones.
If you have questions or would like more information about this course, please contact Karen Lewis at klewis@ArcoraFoundation.org or 206-528-7344.
Improving Oral Health for Clients with Dementia
Assisting with oral care, and all personal care tasks can be challenging for caregivers and clients as memory loss advances. This dynamic course provides in-depth, dementia-specific information and strategies to build caregiver knowledge, skills, and confidence.
Course Topics Include:
- Types of dementias
- Relationship between oral health and dementia
- The role of caregivers in improving oral care
- Understanding care-resistant behaviors
- Strategies to overcome resistance to oral care
The following professionals contributed to the creation of this course:
- Arcora Foundation Staff: Diane Oakes, MPH, MSW; Dianne Riter, MPH; and Karen Lewis, BA
- Content Experts: May Chin, RDH; Jenny Shuler, DA; Joanne Mahar, Alzheimer’s Association
- Reimbursed Consultant: Rita Jablonski, Ph.D., APRN
Continuing Education: This course is approved for one credit hour by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.
Target Audience: This course is designed for licensed home care aides and other types of caregivers to increase the quality of oral health care delivered to clients or loved ones.
If you have questions or would like more information about this course, please contact Karen Lewis at klewis@ArcoraFoundation.org or 206-528-7344.
MouthMatters – Preventing Dental Disease in Pediatric Primary Care
The MouthMatters program will train you and your team to deliver preventive oral health services to children, from the time of tooth eruption until age 6. These services include:
- Oral Evaluation and Risk Assessment,
- Oral Health Education,
- Application of Topical Fluoride Varnish (up to age 20)
- Dental Referral
Those who complete a MouthMatters training in-person/Zoom qualify for reimbursement of these oral health services through Apple Health (Medicaid), as well as reimbursement for fluoride varnish through Washington MCOs and all commercial plans. *If you have missed your clinic’s training and your clinic is providing the services, you are able to complete this online CME to get trained to provide these critical services.
In this online CME course, you will learn about:
- The impact of dental disease on pediatric oral health
- The role of primary care providers in oral health or “Putting the mouth back in the body”
- Oral health 101/basics
- How to deliver oral health services as part of well-child care
- Reimbursement
Participants in the online CME will receive 1 category 2 CME for completion of the course.
Additional information and implementation materials can be found here.
If you have questions or would like more information about this course or oral health integration in Washington state, please contact Madlen Caplow at mcaplow@arcorafoundation.org or 206-473-9542.