Page 9 - GP Fall 2024

parathyroidism. The Brown tumor of hyper- AGD Hill Day 2024: Advocating for
parathyroidism may be the earliest presentation
of hyperparathyroidism and may demonstrate Oral Health Legislation
expansion of cortical bone, root resorption and
movement of tooth roots themselves. As a general dentist working at Open Door Family Medical Center, an FQHC in Westchester
5
County, NY, I felt privileged to participate in AGD’s Hill Day this past May. Held in Wash-
Treatment ington DC, this event provided a crucial opportunity for the dental community to engage
Patients with parathyroid adenomas or hyper- with policymakers and advocate for key oral health legislation. Drawing on my firsthand
plasia should be treated by surgical excision experience serving a diversely underserved population, I recognized the importance of the
of the hyperfunctioning parathyroid gland or proposals discussed during Hill Day as they directly impact the health outcomes and access
glands. It is important to remember that when to care for my patients. The last time I was in Washington DC was as a child sightseeing the
doing any surgical procedure on the dental historic monuments, so I was a bit anxious to return in such a different context. Thankfully, I
hard or soft tissues, there is a higher risk of knew my CEO Lindsay Farrell had met with many policymakers in the past, including Con-
bone fracture as the bone may demonstrate os- gressman Mike Lawler whose staff I’d be meeting with. Before taking off, I sought advice
teoporosis, osteopenia, or a Brown tumor of from her on how to highlight our organization in the context of the proposed legislation so
hyperparathyroidism. All lead to a decreased as to garner bipartisan support. After landing, I earned a wealth of knowledge during the
density of the bone and an increased likeli- event itself which was moderated by AGD President Dr. Merlin Ohmer. We received a vari-
hood of fracture. The treatment of patients ety of lectures: Dr. Adam Barefoot spoke on his role through HRSA, Dr. Natalia Chalmers
with primary hyperparathyroidism is not to discussed Medicaid coverages, and Dr. Richard Huot emphasized the importance of advoca-
treat the affected bones themselves but rather cy. These speakers as well as other AGD leaders and DC staffers helped us prepare for our
to excise the affected gland or glands and re- meetings with House and Senate representatives in which we discussed the following bills.
assess the patient to determine if the parathor-
mone levels have returned to normal and the Oral Health Literacy Act (H.R.994/S.403):
patient no longer demonstrates hypercalcemia. This legislation seeks to enhance oral health education and literacy programs nationwide,
empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their oral health care. This bill
References would authorize $750,000 per year over a five-year period for the Health Resources and Ser-
1. Khalekar Y, Zope A, Brahmankar U, Chaudhari vices Administration (HRSA) to establish an evidence-based education campaign to promote
L. Hyperparathyroidism in dentistry: Issues and oral health literacy among vulnerable populations.
challenges!! Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2016 Jul-
Aug;20(4):581-2. doi: 10.4103/2230-8210.183452.
PMID: 27366735; PMCID: PMC4911858. DOC Access Act (H.R.1385/S.1424):
2. Machenahalli P, Shotliff K. Problem based re- This act aims to improve access to dental care, particularly for underserved populations, by
view: The patient with hypercalcaemia. Acute expanding the scope of practice for dental professionals and enhancing reimbursement mech-
Med. 2015;14:138–41). anisms for dental services. This legislation would prohibit dental insurance plans from setting
3. Kakade SP, Gogri AA, Umarji HR, Kadam SG. Oral
manifestations of secondary hyperparathyroidism: A the fees contracted doctors may charge for services not covered by the insurers.
case report. Contemp Clin Dent. 2015;6:552–8.
4. Sneider MS, Solorzano CC, Lew JI. Chapter Action for Dental Health Act (H.R.3843/S.2891):
8. Primary Hyperparathyroidism. In: Morita SY, This legislation would reauthorize critical state grants to support dental health workforce
Dackiw AB, Zeiger MA. eds. McGraw-Hill Man- initiatives in areas with dental health provider shortages through fiscal year 2028. Such ini-
ual: Endocrine Surgery. The McGraw-Hill Com-
panies; 2010. Accessed June 07, 2024. https:// tiatives include loan forgiveness and repayment programs, CE, and the establishment of new
accesssurgery.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?book- residency programs to name a few.
id=440§ionid=40161241.
5. Nair PP, Gharote HP, Thomas S, Guruprasad R, Hill Day was a resounding success, with policymakers expressing receptiveness to the issues
Singh N. Brown tumour of the jaw. BMJ Case Rep
2011. 2011:pii: Bcr0720114465. raised on behalf of general dentists nationwide. Moving forward, AGD will continue to ad-
6. Venkatesh KV, Nandini VV. Periapical radiolu- vocate for the passage of these bills, mobilizing its membership and fostering partnerships
cency not requiring endodontic therapy: An unusu- to advance the cause of oral health nationwide. Hill Day served as a pivotal moment for the
al case. Indian J Dent Res. 2009;20:126–8. dental community to amplify its voice and champion critical oral health legislation on Cap-
7. Mittal, Sanjeev, et al. “Oral manifestations of itol Hill. By advocating for these bills, AGD reaffirmed its commitment to improving oral
parathyroid disorders and its dental management.”
J Dent Allied Sci 3.1 (2014): 34-8. health outcomes and ensuring access to quality dental care for all.
Dr. Gwen Cohen Brown is a Shedila Takmiol, DDS
Full Professor in the Dental
Hygiene Department, a
licensed dentist in New
York State, and a Fellow in
the Academy of Oral and
Maxillofacial Pathology.
Dr. Brown is the Dental
Expert for WebMD and faculty at the NY/NJ
AIDS Education and Training Center. She is
a member of the Dental Standards of Care
Committee charged with writing current HIV
Clinical Guidelines Program for the NYS-
DOH/AIDS Institute with Johns Hopkins. She
authored the current Monograph and national
standard of care on Oral Lesions in HIV
Seropositive Patients for the AIDS Institute.
Dr. Brown has lectured extensively on the topic
of HIV/AIDS, Common Oral Lesions, Infection Hill Day participants prior to departing for House and Senate meetings.
Control, and Oral Cancer since 1992. www.nysagd.org l Fall 2024 l GP 9