Cynthia Hodge, DMD, MPH, MPA

2001-2002

Joseph L. Henry Oral Health Fellow

President and CEO, DeSti Consulting, Inc., Madison, TN

When Dr. Cynthia Hodge joined the faculty at the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center in 2003, her charge was to increase access to oral health care for the citizens of Connecticut. As Director of the newly funded Pipeline, Profession & Practice: Community-Based Dental Education Project, Dr. Hodge achieved success in all aspects of the grant: increased diversity of the dental student body at UConn, integrated cultural competency into the curriculum and established the community-based dental education program which is now integral to increased access to care.

Her CFHU Fellowship presentation, “Understanding the Relationship Between Oral Health and Diabetes” was an important work, and provided the knowledge and skills needed to develop the Health Disparities Collaborative in Diabetes at a Federally Qualified Health Center. A strong advocate for community-based dental education as a means to increase access to oral health care, she established the Dental Unit of the Primary Care Clinic of the Hartford Dispensary, a substance abuse center serving nearly 3,000 clients statewide.

Dr. Hodge received her D.M.D. degree from Oregon Health Sciences University, an M.P.H. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an M.P.A. degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, a certificate in Minority Health Policy. She is the current President of the National Dental Association Foundation, lectures nationally and internationally on access to care, and is a mentor to many Health Professions hopefuls.

 

Learn more about The Joseph L. Henry Oral Health Fellowship in Minority Health Policy

2009

Davidson PL, Thind A, Friedman JA, Carreon DC, Hodge C. The Pipeline program at the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine. J Dent Educ. 2009 Feb;73(2 Suppl):S108-118; discussion S118-9.

2008

Wagner, J., Arteaga, S., D’Ambrosio, J., Hodge, C., Ioannidou, E., Pfeiffer, C., Reisine, S. Dental students' attitudes toward treating diverse patients: Effects of a cross-cultural patient-instructor program. J Dent Educ. 2008 Oct;72(10), 1128-1134.

2007

Wagner J, Arteaga S, D'Ambrosio J, Hodge CE, Ioannidou E, Pfeiffer CA, Yong L, Reisine S. A patient-instructor program to promote dental students' communication skills with diverse patients. J Dent Educ. 2007 Dec;71(12):1554-60.

2001

Hodge CE. HIV/AIDS: Impact on the African American Community. Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry. 22(3 Spec No):52-6.

Enhancing Management of Diabetes Mellitus and Periodontal Diseases among Community Health Center Populations

Abstract:

The purpose of this project was to develop a strategy to manage diabetes and periodontal diseases among low-income and minority populations.  Disparities in oral and systemic health occur within and between ethnic and racial groups and low-income populations throughout the United States.  In fact, minority populations, particularly African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans, who are also low-income, suffer a layering effect due to the combined health risks associated with their racial/ethnic background and their economic status.  

Among African Americans, seven causes of excess deaths have been identified: heart disease and stroke, cancer, cirrhosis, diabetes, unintentional and intentional injuries, infant mortality and HIV/AIDS. Excess deaths are additional deaths experienced by a minority population beyond what would be expected if their rates were the same as those for the non-Hispanic White population.  Excess deaths also occur for Hispanics and Native Americans.    

African Americans and Hispanics also suffer disproportionately from common oral diseases such as dental caries, periodontal diseases and oral cancer. Current research is investigating plausible biological associations between oral and systemic diseases, and the synergy between oral and system health.  If strategies are developed to address both disease categories, periodontal diseases and diabetes mellitus, and bi-directional health interventions for low-income minority populations, multiple benefits are probable.

Methods:

Peer reviewed basic and clinical science literature were reviewed.  Other articles, reports and popular press manuscripts were collected and evaluated. Secondary data from federal electronic reporting systems were also analyzed. Interviews with experts in the field of diabetes and periodontal diseases were completed.

Results:

There is ample evidence that periodontal infection adversely affects glycemic control in diabetics.  The literature also provides evidence that diabetes is a risk factor for the occurrence and progression of periodontal diseases. This bi-directional association provides opportunity for primary, secondary and tertiary interventions that will enhance both the management of diabetes mellitus and prevent and control periodontal diseases.  This strategy will reduce the burden of diabetes and periodontal diseases and improve the quality of life for community health center populations.

Preceptor:

George W. Taylor, D.M.D., M.P.H., Dr.P.H., Associate Professor, Department of Cariology, School of Dentistry, University of Michigan