Becker's Dental + DSO Review

14 BECKER'S DENTAL + DSO REVIEW // VOL. 2023 NO. 1 QUALITY & INFECTION CONTROL Nearly half of world's population suffers from oral diseases: WHO By Ariana Portalatin A lmost half of the world's population suffers from oral diseases, according to a report from the World Health Organization. The Global Oral Health Status Report, published Nov. 18, reviews oral health data to guide advocacy efforts around improving prioritization of oral health. Nine takeaways from the report: 1. Forty-five percent, or 3.5 billion people, suffer from oral diseases, with 3 out of 4 affected people living in low- and middle-income countries. 2. Global cases of oral diseases have increased by 1 billion over the last 30 years. 3. The most common oral diseases include dental caries, severe gum disease, tooth loss and oral cancers. 4. Untreated dental caries is the most common condition, affecting about 2.5 billion people. 5. Severe gum disease affects an estimated 1 billion people. 6. About 380,000 cases of oral cancers are diagnosed every year. 7. High sugar intake and alcohol and tobacco use are contributing to the global oral health crisis. 8. Some key barriers to oral healthcare access include financial burdens, a lack of integration with primary healthcare models and poor surveillance systems combined with nonprioritization of public oral health research. 9. Solutions to improve global oral health include addressing common risk factors, increasing integration of oral health services in primary healthcare as part of universal health coverage, adjusting oral health workforce models to meet population needs and integrating oral health data into national health monitoring systems. n CMS adds billing code for dental surgeries performed in hospital ORs By Ariana Portalatin CMS established a payment code for dental surgeries performed in hospital operating rooms. The new code, G0330, can be applied to dental rehabilitation procedures for patients who require monitored anesthesia and use of an operating room, according to a Nov. 15 news release from the American Dental Association. The ADA, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons wrote to CMS in June about concerns with patient access to dental rehabilitation surgery in hospital outpatient facilities and ASCs. The organizations stated that limited access has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and leads to long wait times for patients. The ADA said the groups will continue working to increase access for dental services at ASCs. n How 1 dental school is using pharmacists to fight the opioid epidemic By Ariana Portalatin T he University of North Carolina Adams School of Dentistry in Chapel Hill is using pharmacists to prevent opioid addiction, Spectrum News1 reported Dec. 21. The university's pharmacy and dental schools entered a partnership that joins pharmacists and dentists for patient care. Kimberly Sanders, PharmD, an assistant professor of practice advancement and clinical education at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, has spearheaded the integration effort. In addition to initiatives focused on implementing clinical pharmacy services in dental clinics, she also helps create interprofessional curricula. n

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