{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,20]],"date-time":"2026-10-20T07:04:55Z","timestamp":1792479895158,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"S1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,16]],"date-time":"2025-09-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1757980800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,16]],"date-time":"2025-09-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1757980800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["J Public Health Dent"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Puerto Rico has a higher prevalence of oral diseases compared to the U.S., underscoring the urgent need for preventive measures beyond the dentist's office. In response, the Puerto Rico Oral Health Coalition (PR\u2010OHC) adopted a collaborative approach, bringing together public and private stakeholders to promote oral health across the archipelago.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This article showcases the impact of PR\u2010OHC's efforts in reducing oral health disparities, promoting preventive services for children, and improving access to care by implementing Law No. 63\u20102017 and the Oral Exam Certificate (OEC) Program.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>PR\u2010OCH analyzed oral health needs and formulated a mission that included identifying disparities, expanding preventive services, and advocating for evidence\u2010based public health policies. Efforts culminated in legislative action, elevating oral health as a public health issue. The law tasked the Department of Health with the implementation and tracking of an obligatory OEC for students in public and private schools.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The law's implementation resulted in increased preventive dental visits among 1 to 16\u2010year\u2010old children who are beneficiaries of the Government Health Plan (Medicaid funds), the creation of an available and adequate oral health education delivery system, collaborative policy initiatives, and collaborations among stakeholders. After 7\u2009years, 357,867 OEC's have been submitted.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>PR\u2010OHC's initiatives tackled oral health disparities by promoting routine exams\u2014ensuring early detection, prevention, and treatment\u2014and highlighting the importance of dental homes among school\u2010aged children. The Coalition remains actively engaged in advocating for this policy and maintains a leadership role in advancing oral health, fostering interagency collaboration, and improving access for underserved communities.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1111\/jphd.70010","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,16]],"date-time":"2025-09-16T11:31:21Z","timestamp":1758022281000},"page":"65-71","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Advancing Oral Health in Puerto Rico: A Policy Success Story Featuring the Puerto Rico Oral Health Coalition"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"86","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-5310-0173","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"M\u00f3nica","family":"Torres\u2010Resto","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Dental Medicine, Medical Science Campus University of Puerto Rico  San Juan Puerto Rico USA"},{"name":"Member of the Puerto Rico Oral Health Coalition  San Juan Puerto Rico USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luis Rodriguez","family":"Reyes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Dental Medicine, Medical Science Campus University of Puerto Rico  San Juan Puerto Rico USA"},{"name":"Member of the Puerto Rico Oral Health Coalition  San Juan Puerto Rico USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fernando","family":"Mercado","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Member of the Puerto Rico Oral Health Coalition  San Juan Puerto Rico USA"},{"name":"Puerto Rico Department of Health  San Juan Puerto Rico USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elaine M.","family":"Pag\u00e1n","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Dental Medicine, Medical Science Campus University of Puerto Rico  San Juan Puerto Rico USA"},{"name":"Member of the Puerto Rico Oral Health Coalition  San Juan Puerto Rico USA"},{"name":"Puerto Rico Department of Health  San Juan Puerto Rico USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_10_2_1","first-page":"1","volume-title":"Current Status and Strategies to Improve Oral Health Program Infrastructure and Capacity in Puerto Rico: A Needs Assessment Project [Internet]","author":"Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors","year":"2021"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_3_1","unstructured":"Filantrop\u00eda Puerto Rico \u201cData Facts for Systemic Change\u2014Filantropia Puerto Rico \u201dn.d. https:\/\/filantropiapr.org\/data\u2010observatory\/#pr\u2010data."},{"issue":"2","key":"e_1_2_10_4_1","first-page":"132","article-title":"Early Childhood Caries and Risk Factors in Rural Puerto Rican Children","volume":"65","author":"Lopez Del Valle L.","year":"1998","journal-title":"ASDC Journal of Dentistry for Children"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_5_1","volume-title":"Dental Caries and Sealant Prevalence in Children and Adolescents in the United States, 2011\u20132012. NCHS Data Brief, No. 191","author":"Dye B. A.","year":"2015"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_6_1","first-page":"1","volume-title":"Oral Health Evaluation in Children of Third Grade From Puerto Rico [Internet]","author":"Puerto Rico Department of Health","year":"2008"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_7_1","unstructured":"Government of Puerto Rico \u201cLaw to Ensure Access to Oral Health Services for All Patients in Puerto Rico [Internet] \u201d2017 https:\/\/www.salud.pr.gov\/menuInst\/download\/577."},{"key":"e_1_2_10_8_1","volume-title":"From the Presidency: Legislative Agenda \u2010 Approved Projects [Internet]","author":"Raymundo P. B.","year":"2014"},{"issue":"2","key":"e_1_2_10_9_1","first-page":"133","article-title":"The Prevalence of Pit and Fissure Sealants Among Twelve Year Olds Living in Puerto Rico During 1997 [Internet]","volume":"25","author":"El\u00edas\u2010Boneta A. R.","year":"2006","journal-title":"Puerto Rico Health Sciences Journal"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_10_1","volume-title":"Support of Senate Project 69 [Internet]","author":"Pagan E.","year":"2007"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_11_1","volume-title":"Senate Project (PS1366) [Internet]","author":"Puerto Rico Legislative Services Office","year":"2006"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_12_1","volume-title":"Senate Project (PS0211) [Internet]","author":"Puerto Rico Legislative Services Office","year":"2009"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_13_1","volume-title":"Senate Project (PS2332) [Internet]","author":"Puerto Rico Legislative Services Office","year":"2011"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_14_1","volume-title":"Senate Project (PS0059) [Internet]","author":"Puerto Rico Legislative Services Office","year":"2013"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_15_1","volume-title":"Senate Project (PS0069) [Internet]","author":"Puerto Rico Legislative Services Office","year":"2017"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_16_1","volume-title":"Oral Health Examination Certificate","author":"Puerto Rico Department of Health Public Health Unit","year":"2025"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_17_1","first-page":"1","volume-title":"Puerto Rico Compliance Oral Health Certificate Report Year 1 and Year 2 [Internet]","author":"Ruiz Serrano K.","year":"2020"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_18_1","volume-title":"Administrative Order 2018\u2010393 [Internet]","author":"Puerto Rico Department of Health","year":"2018"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_19_1","volume-title":"Administrative Order 2020\u2010447 [Internet]","author":"Puerto Rico Department of Health","year":"2020"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_20_1","volume-title":"Administrative Order 2021\u2010476 [Internet]","author":"Puerto Rico Department of Health","year":"2021"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_21_1","first-page":"1","volume-title":"Oral Health Claims Report in Puerto Rico 2016\u20132019 [Internet]","author":"Ruiz Serrano K.","year":"2021"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_22_1","volume-title":"Kindergarten Oral Health Requirement [Internet]","author":"California Dental Association","year":"2024"}],"container-title":["Journal of Public Health Dentistry"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1111\/jphd.70010","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1111\/jphd.70010","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1111\/jphd.70010","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,7]],"date-time":"2026-05-07T08:39:20Z","timestamp":1778143160000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/jphd.70010"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,16]]},"references-count":21,"journal-issue":{"issue":"S1","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,3]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1111\/jphd.70010"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/jphd.70010","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["0022-4006","1752-7325"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0022-4006","type":"print"},{"value":"1752-7325","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,16]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2025-07-01","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2025-09-04","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2025-09-16","order":3,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}]}}