The chief dental officer for the United States Public Health Service touched on multiple facets of a career in dentistry while recently visiting West Virginia University School of Dentistry.
Rear Admiral Timothy Ricks, DDS, is the assistant surgeon general and advises the Office of the Surgeon General and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on the recruitment, assignment, deployment, retention and career development of oral health professionals.
“It was an incredible opportunity to meet the assistant surgeon general of the U.S. Public Health Service. We share a strong focus and commitment to improving access to safe, high quality oral healthcare across our state,” Dr. Stephen Pachuta, dental school dean, said.
Dr. Ricks, the keynote speaker at Friday’s West Virginia Oral Health Coalition Summit, was invited to speak to the WVU dental school as part of an ongoing research seminar series on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Ricks discussed networking, Medicare and Medicaid dental benefits, patient vaccinations and a career in public health.
“Last year, we had Dr. Ricks join us for a ZOOM session on the U.S. Public Health Service’s role in dealing with COVID-19. When he was scheduled to speak at the Oral Health Summit this year, it seemed obvious that, if his schedule permitted, he would come early to speak to the school,” Dr. Fotinos Panagakos, associate dean for research and postdoctoral affairs, said.
Oral health affects heart, endocrine and overall systemic health and is slowly being included in broader wellness discussions. The theory is that when a patient’s providers work together, it gives the patient a more comprehensive look at their health and subsequently various approaches toward improvement. Ricks advised future dentists to begin networking not just with dentists, but also with medical and behavioral health providers.
The message is aligned with WVU Health Sciences Interprofessional Education, which partners with dentistry and other programs. Its mission is to prepare the next generation of health care professionals to practice and promote an interprofessional collaborative approach to person-centered care.
Dr. Ricks touched on adult dental benefits under Medicare coverage giving older patients limited funding for oral healthcare. Ricks told the dental school audience the funding for comprehensive oral healthcare for older adults is significant and beneficial. WVU dental school providers have already seen an increase in the number of older West Virginians calling for appointments. Lawmakers recently passed a bill providing a $1,000 dental benefit, each year, for adults receiving Medicaid benefits.
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, practices, including those at many dental schools, had to temporarily halt treatments while fitting offices for ventilation systems to better help decrease virus spread which sparked further discussion and debate about vaccinations.
Ricks urged providers to take an interprofessional approach toward vaccinations. Often patients see their dentist more frequently than their primary care provider. A six-month or annual visit with an oral healthcare provider is a good time to provide patients information about a number of vaccines, including for COVID-19, HPV, influenza and pneumonia. Patients who show interest would be encouraged to schedule with a physician.
“It was an honor and pleasure to host Dr. Ricks for to our school community. His discussion was very timely and provided our dental and dental hygiene students important information regarding career opportunities following school and the important role they will play in the overall wellness of the communities they serve,” Dr. Panagakos said.