When Dr. Fadra Whyte graduated from dental school, she did not see a connection between oral health and childhood obesity. When she joined the Champion Provider Fellowship, and connected with County of San Diego Public Health Services, it opened her eyes to how the environment and policies affect the health of her patients and community.
"Hearing my colleagues in the Fellowship and learning from the local health department helped me understand my patient population a little better when discussing nutritional counseling, obesity, and such. Now, I ask questions differently and it has changed the way I approach my patient care."
Dr. Whyte practices pediatric dentistry at a federally qualified health center in San Diego, California. After meeting regularly with her local health department, she became an advocate for reducing the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. In July 2021, she was quoted in the San Diego Union Tribune’s Op-ed, “Opinion: Taxing soda and other sugary drinks can boost community health. California should allow it.” Dr. Whyte participated in interdisciplinary meetings with pediatricians and dentists to bring attention to oral health as it relates to childhood obesity.
Through the connections she made with San Diego Public Health Services, she met with local health department officials in the Fall of 2021, as an advisor for the San Diego Unified School District, which sought to revise its school wellness policy to enhance dental health. The revised policy now allows all students to brush their teeth after school meals. Prior to the policy revisions, only students with special oral health needs, such as orthodontia or high tooth decay risk, had access to toothbrushing after school meals.
Joining the Fellowship has opened doors for me in ways that I didn’t consider. Together, we find different approaches to patient care outside of my clinical settings and I’m eager to continue to foster relationships between dental, medical, and public health entities.
Dr. Fadra Whyte, San Diego, Dentist
Additionally, the revised school wellness policy encourages schools to document and review dental assessment forms throughout the year for students enrolled in kindergarten or first grade. If needed, a school health professional will follow up with students identified with urgent or early care needs. Designated school staff will make the appropriate referral for students who have been identified with urgent needs from the dental assessment forms. For students who have been identified for early care, parents/caregivers are provided with a list of dental clinics in the area. Lastly, a new addition to the policy encourages teachers to develop a lesson plan on the importance of oral health as part of health education each school year.
Based on Dr. Whyte's experience with this project, she now sees the value of the Champion Provider Fellowship. “Joining the Fellowship has opened doors for me in ways that I didn’t consider. I think I’m pretty lucky to be working with a very active local health department and passionate colleagues. Together, we find different approaches to patient care outside of my clinical settings and I’m eager to continue to foster relationships between dental, medical, and public health entities.”
