| Oral Health for Infants, Children, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women
Knowledge Path
February 2010
Introduction
This knowledge
path about oral health for infants,
children, adolescents, and pregnant women
has been compiled by the National
Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC) and
the Maternal
and Child Health Library at Georgetown University.
It offers a selection of current, high-quality resources
that analyze data, describe effective programs, and
report on policy and research aimed at improving
access to oral health care and quality of oral health
for infants, children, adolescents, and pregnant
women. A separate section lists resources for consumers.
The final part of the knowledge path presents resources
on specific
aspects of oral health: child care and
Head Start, dental caries, dental sealants,
fluoride varnish, K–12 education, pregnancy, school-based
and school-linked care, and special health care needs.
This knowledge path is designed for health professionals,
program
administrators, educators, policymakers, and consumers,
and it will
be updated annually.
Related knowledge path: See Health
Insurance and Access to Care for Children and Adolescents.

Overview
For many Americans,
oral health status has improved during the last two
decades, and oral disease has declined significantly
among school-age children in particular. However,
dental caries remains the most prevalent chronic
disease
of childhood,
and among children ages 2–5, the incidence
of dental caries in the primary teeth has increased.
Children
and adolescents with special health care needs, as
well as those from certain racial and ethnic groups,
experience disproportionately high incidences of
oral disease.
To help ensure optimal oral health status, it is imperative that oral health promotion, oral disease prevention, and oral health care be a part of local, state, and national health policy agendas. Policies are needed that better integrate oral health and systemic health; increase access to health-promotion activities, preventive care, and treatment; and reduce financial and other barriers to care. In particular, policies must address oral health concerns and unmet treatment needs, especially among vulnerable populations.

Resources for
Professionals
Web Sites of National Organizations
- Academy
of General Dentistry (AGD).
Continuing education (CE) information
and tools; journal articles; policies, guidelines,
position statements, and fact sheets; and state
and federal
legislative and regulatory news and information.
Some information is accessible to members only.
Also see AGD’s Find an AGD
Dentist and KnowYourTeeth.
- American
Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD).
A collection of
definitions, policies, clinical guidelines,
endorsements, and resources
for improving pediatric oral health. Also provides
a press
kit with facts, tips,
and information about common pediatric
oral
health
issues,
journal
article abstracts, and meeting and CE information.
AAPD collaborates with the Children’s
Dental Health Project on the Improving
Perinatal and Infant Oral Health Project.
Recent AAPD resources include
Dental
Home Online Resource Center.
Information about the dental home
concept and resources to support the delivery
of oral health care to all children, with
a focus on infants.
Guideline
on Infant Oral Health Care, rev. ed. (2009).
Guideline
on Periodicity of Examination, Preventive Dental
Services, Anticipatory Guidance, and Oral Treatment for Children, rev.
ed. (2009).
Policy on Patient’s Bill of Rights and Responsibilities. (2009).
Also
see AAPD’s Find a Pediatric
Dentist, Parent
Resource Center, Head
Start Dental Home Initiative, guideline about
perinatal health, and materials about
caring for individuals with special health care
needs.
- American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Oral Health Initiative.
Training and program information and other resources
to promote improved child oral health by offering
pediatricians and other child health professionals
the tools and support they need to provide
community-based, collaborative care. Presents information
about a preceptorship
program and grant
projects; a database of
community pediatric oral health projects; distance
learning resources; a newsletter;
policy statements; journal articles; and a collection of
fluoride resources. Recent materials include
Special
Issue on Children’s Oral Health. The November-December
2009 issue of Academic Pediatrics focuses on strategies
to advance children’s oral health and
access to oral health services. The issue contains
the background papers, agenda, and list of
speakers and attendees from AAP's National
Summit on Children’s Oral Health held in November
2008. It also includes
highlights
of the 2008 AAP Periodic Survey of Pediatricians'
Office Practices in Oral Health.
- American
Association for Community Dental Programs (AACDP).
Membership information; a newsletter;
annual meeting materials; and resources to support
those serving the oral
health needs
of vulnerable populations at the community
level.
- American
Association of Public Health Dentistry (AAPHD).
Program information for accredited dental public
health residencies;
a contact
list for schools of public health and public
health programs; meeting information; and
a newsletter.
- American
Dental Association (ADA). Journal articles, position
statements, policy analyses, federal and
state legislative information, profiles of
state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance
Program (CHIP) oral health programs, news releases,
and information about products, CE
opportunities,
meetings, and membership. Recent resources
and initiatives include
Give
Kids a Smile! Background information and resources
for this initiative to provide free oral health
services to children from families with low
incomes across the country during the first
Friday in February each year. View the proceedings
for the 2009 Give Kids a Smile Symposium,
Maintaining
Momentum Through Continuity of Care: Finding
Dental Homes for America’s Children.
Medicaid
Dental Payment Rates for Children. (2009). [Chart].
National
Children’s Dental Health Month (NCDHM).
Information about this
nationwide observance held every
February to raise awareness
about the importance of oral health.
Resources for oral health professionals
and teachers
include a program-planning kit,
classroom ideas, and English- and
Spanish-language posters and activity
sheets for children.
Proceedings
of the March 23–25, 2009 Access to Dental
Care Summit. (2009).
Also see ADA’s
library catalog; Find
a Dentist;
resources for consumers;
resources about dental caries, dental
sealants, and topical
fluoride; and the Smile
Smarts! Oral Health Curriculum.
- American
Dental Education Association (ADEA).
Membership, meeting, and professional-development
information and resources for dental educators and
students in dental-education
programs. Also offers dental-education policy
and advocacy resources on topics that include
federal
legislation
and regulation (see ADEA's newsletter),
diversity and equity, recruitment and retention,
work force issues, and access
to care.
- American
Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA).
CE courses; position papers;
information about membership, programs, and grants;
testimony about oral health and access to care; and resources for consumers. Recent resources include
Direct
Access States. (2009). This compilation summarizes laws by state about direct access to oral health services through dental hygienists.
States
Which Directly Reimburse Dental Hygienists for Services
Under the Medicaid Program. (2009). [Compilation].
- Association
of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD).
Project reports and program information for federally
funded
oral health activities;
information about and links to each state and
territory oral health program; links to resources
and tools to support state and territorial
dental directors in their efforts to build
high-quality oral health programs; a newsletter;
and a list of members by state. ASTDD collaborates
with many organizations, including the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the
development of oral health data
systems among
other resources, with the Maternal
and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), and with the Children’s
Dental Health Project (CDHP) in the National
Oral Health Policy Center.
Recent resources and initiatives include
ASTDD
Competencies for State Oral Health Programs.
(2009).
[Companion tool to ASTDD
Guidelines for State and Territorial Oral Health Programs, rev. ed. (2006)].
Best
Practice Approaches. Information
about proven and promising practices for
developing effective state, territorial,
and community oral health programs. Includes
a set of reports that describe public health
strategies, summarize supporting evidence,
review best practice criteria, and use current
practices to illustrate successful implementation
methods. Also offers a database of
successful state oral health public
health activities.
Dental
Public Health Infrastructure: Failing to Meet the Needs
of the Underserved.
(2009). [Issue brief].
Also see ASTDD’s Safety
Net Dental Clinic Manual (2003–), Mobile-Portable
Dental Manual (2007), and resources
about Head Start, fluoride
varnish, school oral
health programs, and children
with special health care needs.
- Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Division of Oral Health. Guidelines and recommendations, data
systems,
fact sheets, journal articles, and other
resources to enhance oral-disease prevention
in state and community settings. Resources
include
Community
Water Fluoridation.
A collection of resources about
the benefits, safety, statistics, engineering
support, guidelines and recommendations,
and other factors to consider with community
water fluoridation and other fluoride products.
Oral
Health: Preventing Cavities, Gum Disease, and Tooth Loss, rev. ed.
(2009). [Issue brief].
Prevention
of 2009 H1N1 Influenza Transmission in Dental
Health Care Settings. (2009). [Guidelines].
State
Oral Health Programs. Information
about CDC funding for state oral health programs,
oral health program infrastructure development
tools, oral health information by state and
territory, and state oral health plans.
Also see CDC’s resource about
school-based dental sealant programs.
Other resources about oral health from
CDC:
Guide
to Community Preventive Services: Oral Health.
Contains recommendations for population-based interventions
addressing dental caries, oral and pharyngeal
cancers, and oral and facial injuries.
National
Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
Presents the fact sheet, FastStats:
Oral and Dental Health, rev. ed. (2009).
Also see the NCHS database, Data2010.
- Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Information about Medicaid
oral health coverage for eligible individuals
under age 21 as a required component of the
Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and
Treatment (EPSDT) benefit. Includes information
about the oral
health services available through CHIP and
a letter to
state health officials with general guidance on
some of the oral-health-related provisions in the
Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization
Act of 2009 (CHIPRA). Presents promising
oral health practices in use by states for
their Medicaid and CHIP programs. Also see the
ADA profiles of
state Medicaid and CHIP oral health programs, the Health
Resources and Services Administration (HRSA): Medicaid
Primer and the Medicaid
Benefits database.
- Children’s
Dental Health Project (CDHP).
Policy briefs, Congressional testimony, fact sheets,
talking points, videos and other social media, and
program information about children’s oral health,
with a
focus on prevention, financing,
public health, equity, and awareness. Recent
publications and initiatives include
CHIP Reauthorization: Renewed Support for Children’s Oral Health. (2009). [Policy brief].
Health Information Technology: Opportunities to Improve Children's Oral Health. (2009). [Policy brief].
Senate
Health Reform Toolbox. (2009).
Shifting
Paradigms in Promoting Oral
Health for Young Children. (2009). [Article].
Training
New Dental Health Providers in the U.S.
(2009). [Report, Executive
summary, Policy
brief].
National
Oral Health Policy Center (NOHPC).
Policy briefs and a newsletter to
address ongoing disparities in children’s
oral health. NOHPC at CDHP collaborates
with the Association
of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP),
the Association
of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD),
the Medicaid/SCHIP Dental Association
(MSDA), and the National
Academy of State Health Policy (NASHP).
Also see the Improving
Perinatal and Infant Oral Health Project.
- Health
Resources and Services Administration (HRSA):
Medicaid Primer.
Information to assist state and local
health officials in understanding how Medicaid
works and how it can ensure access to health
services for underserved populations. A section
is devoted to oral
health services under Medicaid.
- Healthy
People 2010. Information and
publications about this national health-promotion
and disease-prevention initiative that is coordinated
by the Office
of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
(ODPHP) and includes an oral health agenda.
See Data2010:
The Healthy People 2010 Database and the HP2010
Information Access Project for access
to published literature related to the Healthy
People 2010 oral health objectives. Also view
proposed Healthy
People 2020 objectives for oral
health.
- Medicaid/SCHIP
Dental Association (MSDA).
Links to publications, meeting presentations,
advocacy materials, and other resources about state
and national Medicaid and CHIP oral
health
policies and practices. MSDA collaborates with
the Children’s
Dental Health Project (CDHP) in the National
Oral Health Policy Center.
- National
Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP): Oral
Health. Issue briefs, reports,
webinars, and PowerPoint presentations about
improving access to oral health care for vulnerable
populations.
NASHP
collaborates with
the Children’s Dental Health Project
(CDHP) in the National Oral
Health Policy Center. Recent publications include
Engaging
Medical Providers in Children’s Oral Health. (2009). [Issue
brief, Webinar recording]
Help
Wanted: A Policymaker's Guide to New Dental
Providers. (2009). [Report, Issue
brief].
Increasing
Access to Dental Care in Medicaid: Targeted
Programs for Four Populations.
(2009). [Report].
Improving
EPSDT Periodicity Schedules to Promote Healthy
Development. (2009). [Issue brief].
- National
Conference
of State Legislatures (NCSL): Children’s Oral health.
Information about the role that state legislators
can play in improving children’s oral health. Topics
include Medicaid and
CHIP, access to services, work force issues, and
prevention and awareness. Describes
and links to exemplary state
programs
in each topic area. Also links to NCSL newsletter
and magazine articles and other resources that address
state efforts to improve children’s oral health.
- National
Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
(NIDCR). An oral
and craniofacial data system, a newsletter,
suggestions for finding
oral health care, and resources about oral health
care for individuals
with special health care needs.
Also includes information about research,
funding, clinical trials, and training. Some
resources are available
in Spanish.
- National
Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
(OHRC). A searchable library of
print and electronic materials. The Oral
Health Resource Bulletin lists recent,
noteworthy items in the library, and OHRC's A–Z
List links to materials by topic. OHRC
also offers a database describing
oral health projects funded by the Maternal
and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) and a database of
projects funded by the Office
of Head Start (OHS), news
alerts and online discussion lists,
distance-learning curricula,
and links to
resources about oral health. OHRC is supported
by the Maternal
and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). Resources include
Bright
Futures Oral Health Toolbox. Guides,
curricula, screening and risk-assessment
tools, and anticipatory guidance tools.
Dental Home: Summary from an MCHB Expert
Meeting. (2009). [Report, Presentation].
Oral
Health Resource Bulletin.
(2009).
Resource
Highlights: Focus on Fluoridated Community Water. (2009). [Resource
brief].
Resource
Highlights: Focus on Health Literacy.
(2009). [Resource brief].
Also see OHRC’s
resources for consumers and
resources about Head
Start, early childhood caries (ECC), dental
sealants, fluoride
varnish, school
oral health education, pregnancy, school-based
care, and special
health care needs.
- National
Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA).
Practice management resources, webinars, articles,
a newsletter and online discussion
list, and
other resources for establishing and operating a
community oral health clinic.
NNOHA is a nationwide network of oral health
professionals who
care for patients in migrant, homeless,
and community health centers. Recent resources
include
Dental
Forms Library. A collection of forms, standard
letters, policies, procedures, patient information,
guidelines, and instructions used by oral health
clinics.
2008
Prevention Summit: A Summary Paper—Bringing
Evidence and Best Practices into Health Center
Dental Programs: Improving Childhood Oral Health.
(2009).
- Oral
Health America (OHA). Information
about its public-education campaigns to address
oral health issues such as dental caries, spit
tobacco, dental sealants, community water fluoridation,
and disparities in oral health and access to
care. In addition to a newsletter,
recent publications include
Keep
Kansas Smiling: Oral Health in the Sunflower State—Kansas Oral Health Grading Project 2009. (2009).
National
Smile Month Handbook 2009. (2009).
Also see OHA’s school-based
oral health initiative.
- Pew
Center on the States: Children’s Dental Health. Information
about Pew's initiative to ensure that more
children
receive oral health care and benefit
from policies proven to prevent dental caries.
Includes background information, reports, letters
to Congress, testimony, and statements. Recent
resources
include
Keeping
Kids Healthy: Engaging Medical Providers in
Children’s Dental Health.
(2009). [Webinar recording, Agenda, Issue
brief].
Reimbursing
Physicians for Fluoride Varnish: A Cost-Effective
Solution to Improving Access. (2009). [Fact sheet].
- Pipeline,
Profession, and Practice: Community-Based Dental
Education Program (Dental Pipeline).
Information and background resources
for this collaborative of U.S. dental schools
that works to reduce oral health disparities
through the recruitment and retention of underrepresented
minority and lower-income students and the
integration of community-based student rotations
into curricula. The Dental Pipeline is a national
program supported by the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

Additional Resources
from National Organizations
- Association
of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO). 2009. Community
Water Fluoridation.
Arlington, VA: Association of State and Territorial
Health Officials (ASTHO). This position statement
describes the effects of fluoridation on public
health
and outlines ASTHO's support for increasing
community water fluoridation coverage in the
United States.
- C.
S. Mott Children’s Hospital, National
Poll on Children’s Health. 2009. For
12 Million Uninsured Children, High Barriers to Dental Care. Ann Arbor, MI:
C. S. Mott Children’s Hospital. This document reports data and findings
from a national survey of parents with children (ages 3–17) about oral health
care and oral health concerns
for their children. Topics include use of oral health care, dental insurance,
out-of-pocket costs for care, barriers to care, and unmet needs.
- Doescher MP, Keppel GA, Skillman
SM, Rosenblatt RA. 2009. The
Crisis in Rural Dentistry. Seattle, WA: WWAMI
Rural Health Research Center. This issue brief describes the
lack of access to oral health professionals and
services in rural areas and suggests potential
solutions for improving the situation.
- Government
Accountability Office (GAO). 2009. Medicaid:
State and Federal Actions Have Been Taken to Improve
Children’s Access to Dental Services, but Gaps Remain.
Washington, DC: Government Accountability Office (GAO).
This report describes actions taken to improve
access to oral health services for children enrolled
in
Medicaid, obstacles to further improvement, and
recommendations for overcoming the obstacles.
- Harris TA and Board on Health Care
Services. 2009. The
U.S. Oral Health Workforce in the Coming Decade:
Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: National
Academies Press. This report summarizes a
2009 workshop to consider the current status
of access to oral health services, what work
force strategies can improve access, and how
the regulation
and structure of oral health care delivery be
improved to increase access.
- Leigh WA, Wheatley
AL. 2009. Trends
in Child Health 1997-2006: Assessing Racial/Ethnic
Disparities in Unmet Dental Care Needs.
Washington, DC: Joint
Center for Political and Economic Studies.
This issue brief examines the prevalence
of unmet oral health needs among
children under age 18 who are African
American, Hispanic, or white. Sociodemographic
factors such as area of residence, marital status,
family type, and educational attainment are also
examined.
- Paradise J. 2009. Oral
Health Coverage and Care for Low-Income Children:
The Role of Medicaid and CHIP, rev. ed.
Washington, DC: Kaiser
Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured.
This policy brief describes oral
health care access and insurance coverage for
children
from families
with low incomes.

Web Sites of State
Organizations
- California
Dental Association (CDA) Foundation: Access
to
Care.
Information about programs to increase
access
to oral health
care for underserved populations, including infants
and young children and children with special
health care needs. Recent
publications include
Emergency Department
Visits for Preventable
Dental Conditions in California. (2009). [Report].
First 5 Commission Investments in Oral Health 2005–2009. (2009). [Report].
Impact of Federal Stimulus Funds on Oral Health Services in California. (2009). [Fact sheet}.
Managing
California's Medicaid Dental Program: Lessons
from Other States. (2009). [Report].
Also see CDA’s patient-education tools and First
Smiles.
- Iowa
Department of Public Health: Oral Health Bureau.
Program information and reports about
Iowa's efforts to improve the oral health of
all residents. Oral health programs for pregnant
women, infants, children, and adolescents include
the I-Smile
Dental Home Initiative, a school-based
dental sealant program, a fluoride mouthrinse program,
an EPSDT
oral
health services
program,
and a program for children, adolescents, and young
adults with special health care needs. Also includes
a collection of oral-health-education-materials and
resources to
support Iowa’s school
oral screening requirement. Other recent resources
are
2009
Third Grade Open Mouth Survey Report. (2009).
IDPH
School-Based Sealant Program Annual Report: School Year 2008–2009. (2009).
Inside
I-Smile™ 2009: An Update on Iowa's Dental Home Initiative for Children. (2010).
[Report].
I-Smile™ Dental Home Initiative. (2010). [Policy brief].
Why
Worry About Baby Teeth? (2009). [Brochure, Spanish
version].
- Massachusetts
Department of Public Health: Office of Oral
Health.
Fact sheets and reports about community
water fluoridation, the dental work force, dental
sealants, pregnancy, fluoride mouthrinse,
and fluoride varnish applications (available
in nine languages). Recent publications include
Status
of Oral Disease in Massachusetts: A Great Unmet Need. (2009). [Report].
Also see the Massachusetts guide to tooth brushing in child care.
- New
York State Department of Health: Oral Health.
Information and resources about the
connection between oral health and general
health, oral health across the lifespan, the
impact of oral disease, and New York's oral
health programs and initiatives, many of which
are targeted to pregnant women, infants, children,
adolescents, and children and adolescents with
special health care needs. Also see the CE
activity, Oral
Health Care During Pregnancy and Early Childhood.
- North
Carolina Division of Public Health: Oral Health
Section (OHS). A collection
of oral-health-education materials about
oral hygiene, dental plaque, dental sealants,
fluoride, nutrition, safety and first aid,
and tooth anatomy and development. Some materials
are available in Spanish. Includes information
about North Carolina's efforts
to assess the oral health of state residents,
prevent oral disease, and increase access to
oral health care. Initiatives include
Into
the Mouths of Babes (IMB). Information
about this training program for health professionals about delivering preventive
oral health services to high-risk children
from the time of tooth eruption until age 3. Training covers oral
screening, parent and caregiver education, and
fluoride varnish
application. Training materials include a toolkit and
newsletter.
- Ohio Department of Health: Bureau
of Oral Health Services. Program
information, data, reports, and education and
training materials for community-based oral-disease-prevention programs and safety net oral health
programs. Also presents fact sheets in English
and Spanish on topics that include fluoride varnish,
ECC, methamphetamine use and oral health, oral
piercings, and pregnancy. Recent publications
include
Strategic and Implementation Plans of the Director of Health's Task Force on Oral Health and Access to Dental Care. (2009).
Also see the Ohio Dental Safety Net Information Center and Ohio’s school-based dental sealant program manual.
- South
Carolina Department of Health and Environmental
Control (SCDHEC) Division of Oral Health.
Materials for professionals
and
families on topics that include
water fluoridation, fluoride varnishes, pregnancy, early
childhood oral health,
school-based oral health, and oral health
evaluations.
Recent
materials include
Community
Water Fluoridation. (2009). [Fact sheet].
- Tennessee
Department of Health: Oral Health Services.
Information about community
water
fluoridation,
a fluoride
varnish initiative, oral health services
offered through public health dental clinics,
a school-based oral health prevention
project, mobile dental clinics, and dental
funding initiatives. Also presents a set
of oral health fact
sheets about healthy oral development,
the importance and care of children’s teeth,
primary and permanent tooth eruption, fluoride,
dental sealants, mouth guards, nutrition, pregnancy,
preventing dental caries, periodontal
disease, oral-injury prevention, and tobacco
use. Recent publications include
Standards of Practice
for Dental Public Health, rev. ed. (2009).
Update on
Oral Health Services. (2009).
- Virginia
Department of Health: Maternal and
Early Child Oral Health.
Program information, presentations,
and educational brochures in English
and Spanish about maternal and
early childhood oral health for health
professionals and families. Also
see Virginia's resources about school-age
oral health education and oral health
for children
with special health care needs.
- Washington
Dental Service (WDS) Foundation: Access
to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD). Program information and materials
that can be used to replicate this model
program focusing on preventive and restorative
oral health care for infants
and children from birth to age 6 who are
eligible for Medicaid, with emphasis on enrollment
by age 1. This ABCD
program
operates throughout Washington State.
- Wisconsin
Oral Health Program. Program
information, reports, and fact sheets on topics
such as ECC, dental sealants, fluoride, healthy oral
development, and smokeless tobacco. Also provides
training resources, including samples of agency protocols
for the
placement of dental sealants and the application
of fluoride varnish in public health settings
and training materials for integrating oral-health-promotion
and oral-health-prevention services into health
visits.
- Many
of the resources listed in the sections Web
Sites of National Organizations and Additional
Resources from National Organizations offer
state-specific reports and/or state oral health
program information.
In addition, several
items by and about state oral health programs are
listed in the data and programs
database sections and in the subsections within the Resources
on Specific Aspects of Oral Health section.

Additional Resources
from State Organizations
- Conis E. 2009. Steps
to Improve Oral Health in Kentucky. Atlanta,
GA: Emory
University Rollins School of Public Health.
This policy paper describes the rationale behind
a law passed in Kentucky in 2008 that requires
5-
or 6-year-old
children
enrolling in public school for the first time
to show proof of an oral examination prior to
enrollment.
- Governor's Task Force on Children
and Oral Health. 2009. Governor's
Task Force on Children and Oral Health: Final Report.
Oklahoma City, OK: Oklahoma
Dental Association. This
report describes the oral health status of Oklahoma
children and presents recommendations
about how the state can better provide
programs that address the oral health needs of
children, including those with
special health care needs.
- Missouri
Oral Health Program. 2009. Oral
Health Program: 2009 Annual Report. Jefferson
City, MO: Missouri
Department of Health and Senior Services.
This report describes Missouri's program to monitor
and reduce oral disease among Missouri
citizens, particularly children and adolescents,
and highlights key accomplishments in 2009.
- Missouri
Oral Health Task Force. 2009. Creating
a Healthier Missouri: A Statewide Oral Health
Plan.
Jefferson City, MO: Missouri
Department of Health and Senior Services.
This oral health plan identifies Missouri's oral
health
challenges and presents strategies for improving
oral health education, access to care, and work
force development.
- Skillman SM, Andrilla CHA, Alves-Dunkerson JA, Mouradian
WE, Comenduley M, Yi J, Doescher MP. 2009. Washington
State’s Oral Health Workforce. Seattle, WA: WWAMI
Center for Health Workforce Studies. This report describes Washington
State’s oral health work force, how
components of the work force contribute to the delivery of oral health services
in the state, and factors
affecting the future supply of the work force. The report presents work force
options
to
consider
in developing programs that will enhance oral
health services delivery.
- South
Dakota Department of Health. 2009. Great
Faces. Great Smiles. Oral Health Plan for South
Dakota. Pierre, SD: South Dakota Department
of Health. This plan addresses the burden of
oral disease in South Dakota and identifies strategies
to address oral health surveillance, oral disease
prevention, work force development, and access
to oral health care.
- Washington
State Oral Health Coalition. 2009. Washington
State Collaborative Oral Health Improvement Plan
2009–2014. Olympia, WA: Washington State Oral
Health Coalition. This state
plan describes the oral health
needs of Washington state residents and presents
goals and objectives to address those needs in six
areas: (1) system infrastructure, (2) oral
health data, (3) oral health
promotion, (4) oral disease prevention, (5) access
to care, and (6) implementation and sustainability.

Distance Learning
Resources
- American
Academy of Pediatrics: Oral Health Trainings and Videos.
Video clips and modules about
oral health and infants, children, and adolescents, including
Oral
Health in the 21st Century: Something to Smile About—Pediatrician's Role
in Oral Health. (2008). [Symposium video presentations, Slides, Poster
presentations].
Oral
Health Risk Assessment: Training for Pediatricians
and Other Child Health Professionals.
(2008). [Training module].
Protecting All Children’s Teeth (PACT): A Pediatric Oral
Health Training Program. (2009). [Training module].
- Maternal
and Child Health Bureau: MCHCOM.com. Video and
audio webcasts to support
communication and collaboration between
state and federal maternal and child
health (MCH) professionals. Slides, transcripts,
and background materials accompany
each webcast. Recent
webcasts about oral health include
Accessing
Oral Health Care through WIC. (2009).
Engaging
Providers to Improve Perinatal and Infant Oral Health: Innovative Strategies. (2009).
Medicaid
Portability: Eliminating Gaps in Health Care, Optimizing Oral Health, for Migrant
Children and Their Families. (2009).
- National
Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
(OHRC): Distance Learning Curricula and Manuals. OHRC
curricula include
A Health Professional’s
Guide to Pediatric Oral Health Management. (2003). These seven self-study
modules are designed to assist health professionals in managing the oral health
of infants
and young children, including those with special health care needs.
Open
Wide: Oral Health Training for Health Professionals.
(2004). These four self-study modules are designed for health and early childhood
professionals
working in community settings (e.g., Head Start and WIC staff)].
Seal America: The Prevention Invention, 2nd ed. (2007).
Special Care: An Oral Health Professional's Guide
to Serving Young Children with Special Health Care Needs. (2006).
Also see the distance learning curricula developed by OHRC for the Ohio
Dental Safety Net Information Center, Head
Start Oral Health Curricula: At-a-Glance (2008) and a bibliography of
oral health curricula.
- Ohio
Dental Safety Net Information Center. Tools and information
to start and maintain the operations and delivery of health care services
in safety net dental clinics in Ohio. Offers several distance
learning opportunities:
Caries
Prevention, Risk Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment. (2009). These five
self-study modules for professionals working in safety net dental clinics in
Ohio provide a framework for assessing patients’ risk for dental caries
and determining prevention, treatment, and education strategies based on that
patient’s risk category.
Clinical
Operations for Safety Net Dental Clinics. (2008). These six
self-study modules address safety net dental clinic policies and procedures,
human
resources,
health records, forms, billing and collections, purchasing and inventory management,
patient appointments and care, infection control, environmental health, and safety.
Financial
Management for Safety Net Dental Clinics. (2008). These five
self-study modules for dental clinic staff address strategic planning, revenue,
expenses,
managing finances, and securing external funding.
Oral Health
Care for Young Children.
(2008). These four self-study modules are designed to help oral health professionals
learn about providing care to infants and children from birth through age 3.
School-Based
Dental Sealant Programs. (2009). These five self-study modules address
infection control, tooth selection and assessment for dental sealants, materials
and application techniques, and program
operations.
- University
of Connecticut Health Center: Oral
Health Resources for Health Professionals. Resources for physicians,
residents, medical students, and other health professionals to improve
their effectiveness in providing oral health
services to infants and children. Materials include lectures in videoclip
and PowerPoint
formats
and case studies on topics such as teething and tooth eruption, caries etiology
and risk assessment, toothbrushing, nutrition, barriers to oral health care,
and fluoride treatments. Also presents patient-education posters in English
and Spanish and physician reference materials.
- Association
of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) with American
Association for Community Dental Programs (AACDP).
2007. Mobile-Portable
Dental Manual.
New Bern, NC: Association of State and Territorial
Dental Directors (ASTDD). This online manual presents
information to create mobile and portable systems
of oral health care to serve
populations that have difficulty accessing the
traditional system of oral health services delivery.
The manual cross-references
and
links to the companion reference tool, Safety
Net Dental Clinic Manual.
- Minnesota
Department of Health, Minnesota
Department of Human Services. 2009. Oral
Health Screening Online Module. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Department of Health. This
online training program for health professionals and program administrators presents
information about the oral health component of Minnesota's
EPSDT program. The module covers oral health screening, common oral health
problems in infants and children, dental caries prevention strategies, and anticipatory
guidance about oral health.
- Ohio
Department of Health, Indian
Health Service, and Association
of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD). 2003–. Safety
Net Dental Clinic Manual. Columbus, OH: Ohio Department of Health. This training manual highlights all aspects
of dental clinic development as well
as ongoing operations. Topics include partnerships
and planning, facilities and staffing, financing,
clinic operations, quality assurance, and quality
improvement. The manual is continually updated. Also see the companion
tool, Mobile-Portable
Dental Manual.
- Society of Teachers
of Family Medicine Group on Oral Health. 2009. Smiles
for Life: A National Oral Health Curriculum, 2nd
ed.
Leawood, KS: Society
of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM). This
oral health curriculum for primary
care health professionals contains seven modules
that address the relationship
between oral and systemic health, child and adult
oral
health, emergencies, pregnancy, fluoride
varnish, and the oral examination. Accompanying the
curriculum are an implementation guide, educational
objectives,
test questions,
resources for further learning, pocket cards,
portable digital assistant applications, and posters
in English and Spanish.
- See the
following professional associations for CE information: Academy
of General Dentistry (AGD), American
Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), American
Dental Association (ADA), American
Dental Education Association (ADEA), American
Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA),
and Special
Care Dentistry Association (SCDA).
Also see Resources
on Specific Aspects of Oral Health for
additional distance learning resources.

Databases
The databases listed below are excellent
tools for identifying data,
additional literature and research,
and programs about oral health
and infants, children, adolescents, and pregnant
women. Many of the entries below contain tips on
how to use the databases efficiently. Please note
that
databases
vary in how terms should be entered; for example,
some require quotation marks and others don't. Enter
search phrases as shown in bold below.
- Data
- Childstats.gov.
Statistics and reports about children
and families, including family and social environment,
economic circumstances, health care, physical environment
and safety, behavior, education, and health. Includes
statistics about oral
health. ChildStats.gov is a service
of the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family
Statistics. The forum's annual report, America’s
Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being,
details the status of children and families in
the United States.
- Community
Health Status Indicators (CHSI).
County-specific data on health status
indicators obtained from a variety of federal
agencies including the Department of Health
and Human Services, the Environmental Protection
Agency, the Census Bureau, and the Department
of Labor. Use the indicators to compare a county
with
counties similar in population composition
and selected demographics and to characterize
the overall health of a county and its citizens
to support health planning. Select a state
and county and click on Access to Care to view
the number of dentists per 100,000 people.
CHSI is a service of the Department
of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
- Data2010:
The Healthy People 2010 Database. Data for
tracking Healthy
People 2010. To obtain oral health data,
click on the field, Data by Focus Area. Under
the field, Select a Focus Area, choose 21-Oral
Health from the pop-up menu. Next, click on
the button, Include Related Objectives from
Other Focus Areas in the Table. Click on the
Submit button, or use the other fields to narrow
your search. This data set is provided by the National
Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) via CDC
Wonder.
- Data
Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health
(DRC). Data from the National Survey of Children’s
Health, 2003 & 2007, and the National Survey of
Children with Special Health Care Needs, 2001 &
2005/2006. Users can search and compare results on
over 100 indicators of child health and well-being;
view national and state profiles on key measures;
explore survey content relevant to Healthy
People 2010 objectives; and compare findings
at all levels for children by age, race and ethnicity,
income, or health status. Several indicators
address oral health. DRC is a project of the Child
and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI).
- Dental,
Oral and Craniofacial Data Resource Center
(DRC). A catalog
of oral health surveys and archive of procedures
related to oral health and a data-query system for
oral health data from national health survey databases.
DRC is a collaborative effort between
the National Institute of
Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) and CDC’s
Division of Oral Health.
- Healthcare
Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP): HCUPnet.
Health statistics and information
on hospital in-patient and emergency department
utilization at the national, regional, and
state levels. To identify data about hospital
use related to oral health and infants, children,
and adolescents, select National Statistics on Children.
Select Researcher,
medical professional.
Under type of query, select Statistics on specific
diagnoses or procedures. Select a year (e.g.,
2006). Select Diagnoses grouped by Clinical
Classifications Software (CCS). Select Principal
diagnosis. Under the field, Browse all CCS
categories, scroll to 136 Disorders of teeth
and jaw and 137 Disease of mouth. Hold the
control key or Apple command key down, and
click to select both categories. Click on Next. Select
the
outcomes
and measures
of interest (e.g., Number of discharges) and
click on Next. Select patient and hospital
characteristics (e.g., All patients in all
hospitals) and click on Next. View your results.
HCUP is an initiative of the Agency
for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
- Medical
Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). Information
from this set of large-scale surveys of families
and individuals, their health professionals, and
employers
across the United States. Includes information about
dental visits, type of oral health professional,
treatments
and services
performed, and prescribed medicines. MEPS is
a service of the Agency
for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
Recent statistical briefs include
Dental
Expenditures in the 10 Largest States,
2006. (2009).
- National
Quality Measures Clearinghouse (NQMC).
Evidence-based health care quality
measures and measure sets for health professionals,
hospitals, and health plans to evaluate and
improve the quality of health care for patients.
To identify quality measures about oral health,
enter the term "oral health" OR dental in
the search box. Click on Search to get your results.
The database is sponsored by the Agency
for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
- Oral
Health Data Systems. A collection of oral
health data systems to monitor the prevalence of
oral diseases and
the factors influencing oral health in the
United States. These systems are a collaborative
effort between CDC’s Division
of Oral Health and the Association
of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD).
The data systems are
My
Water's Fluoride.
Information about the status of
local water fluoridation systems. This database
is currently available only for states that
voluntarily participate in the Water
Fluoridation Reporting System (WFRS).
National
Oral Health Surveillance System (NOHSS).
Oral-health-surveillance
indicators by state for dental visits,
teeth cleaning, tooth loss (complete
and partial), fluoridation status,
dental sealants, dental caries experience,
untreated
dental
caries,
and cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx.
Oral
Health Maps.
Indicators of oral health and preventive
interventions for oral health by state
or county using an interactive
mapping application. Oral health
indicators for children include
dental caries experience, untreated
dental caries, and dental sealants.
Water
Fluoridation Reporting System (WFRS).
A water-fluoridation-monitoring tool
for state and tribal water fluoridation
program managers
and oral health program directors or
managers. This system requires special
authorization
for access. WFRS is the data source for
the annual fluoridation information in
the National
Oral Health Surveillance System (NOHSS).
Also see the Synopses
of State and Territorial Dental Public
Health Programs and the Dental,
Oral and Craniofacial Data Resource
Center (DRC).
- statehealthfacts.org.
State-level data on more than 500
health topics. Click on a state for individual
state profiles, or click on specific topics
to compare data for all states. For either
option, select Health Status. Scroll down
on the left sidebar and select Child Access to
Medical
and Dental Care. Scroll further to the Oral Health
section
(Note: this data focuses on adults only) and
make a selection. Return to the home page for
another search. Select
Providers and Service Use. Scroll down on the left
sidebar and select Dental Health Professional Shortage
Areas. Scroll further to the Dentists section to
find the number
of dentists overall, per capita, by gender, and
by specialty field, including dental public health,
orthodontics,
and pedodontics. Information can be displayed
as tables, graphs, or color-coded maps. This
database is a service of the Kaiser
Family Foundation (KFF).
- State
Health Workforce Profiles.
Data on supply, demand, distribution,
education, and use of health personnel, including
dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants.
Estimated numbers of workers indicate the size
of the state's health work force. Per capita
ratios facilitate comparisons with other states
and the nation. The profiles were developed
by the Center
for Health Workforce Studies at the State
University of New York at Albany.
- Title
V Information System (Title V IS).
Data from annual Title V Block Grant
applications and reports submitted by all 59
U.S. states and jurisdictions. To learn about
states' efforts to address oral health, conduct
several searches. Select Measurement
and Indicator Data. Under National Data,
select National Performance Measures. Choose
a report option (e.g., Most Recent Year Available).
Select a state or region and Performance Measure
#09 to find the percentage of third-grade students
who have received protective sealants on at
least one permanent molar tooth. Click on Start
Search to get your results. Return to Measurement
and Indicator Data and scroll to the section,
State Data. Select State Priority Needs Keyword
Search; Keyword: Oral Health; Population: Children
(1 through 21); and the desired state or region
to learn about programmatic efforts to improve
oral health. Click on Start Search to get your
results. Repeat the search and substitute Population:
Pregnant Women. Return to Measurement
and Indicator Data and scroll to the section,
State Data. Select State Performance Measures
and click on Search by Keyword/Population.
Select Keyword: Oral Health and Population:
Children (1 through 21). Click on Start Search
to get your results. Repeat the search and
substitute Population: Pregnant Women. Title
V IS is a service of the Maternal
and Child Health Bureau (MCHB).
- Also
see the National
Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
- Literature
and Research Databases
- American
Dental Association (ADA) Online Library Catalog.
Information about books, reports, guidelines,
proceedings, dissertations, historical materials,
and journal titles on a wide range of dentistry
and
oral health topics.
- ClinicalTrials.gov.
Information about clinical research
studies in human health, including oral health.
Included are a summary of the purpose of the study,
recruiting status, criteria for participation,
location of the trial, and contact information.
To identify oral-health-related studies involving
infants, children, and adolescents, click on Search
for Clinical Trials and select Advanced Search.
Type mouth diseases OR tooth diseases in
the Conditions field. Scroll to Age Group and select
Child (birth–17). Click on Search to get your results.
To identify oral-health-related studies involving
pregnant women, click on Search
for Clinical Trials and select Advanced Search.
Type pregnancy in the Search Terms field
and mouth diseases OR tooth diseases in
the Conditions field. Click on Search to get your
results. To narrow either search, click on the tab,
Results by Topic. Click on By Category under the
heading, Conditions. Click on Mouth and Tooth Diseases
to see the breakdown of your search results by topic.
ClinicalTrials.gov is a service of the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) and is developed
by the National
Library of Medicine (NLM).
- Cochrane
Database of Systematic Reviews.
Systematic reviews of health care
interventions internationally. Provides access
to abstracts that can be browsed by
title or by topic such as Oral
Health. Access to the full-text article
requires a per-view payment or a subscription
that is available in many hospital and university
health
sciences
libraries. The database
is published by the Cochrane
Collaboration, an international nonprofit
organization based in the United Kingdom.
- Database
of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE).
Summaries of systematic reviews that
have met strict quality criteria. Included
reviews must be about the effects of interventions.
Each summary also provides a critical commentary
on the quality of the review. Type ("oral
health" OR dental) AND (infants OR
children OR adolescents OR pregnancy) in
the search field and click on search to identify
abstracts. Select a publication date range to further
limit your search. DARE is produced and maintained
by the Centre
for Reviews and Dissemination at the University
of York.
- Health
Workforce Information Center (HWIC): Dental Occupations.
Information about resources, organizations, funding,
events, and news that
focus on the national
dental work force (i.e., dental assistants,
dental
hygienists,
dental
laboratory technicians, and dentists). HWIC
is operated by the
University of North Dakota School of Medicine and
Health Sciences.
- HP2010
Information Access Project: Oral Health.
Automatic search mechanism for
published literature indexed in PubMed and
related to the Healthy People 2010 oral
health objectives. Also links to the narratives
for each of these objectives and the complete
chapter about oral health in the text, Healthy
People 2010: Understanding and Improving Health
(2nd ed.). (2000). This service is
provided by the Partners
in Information Access for the Public Health
Workforce, a collaboration of federal agencies,
public health organizations, and health sciences
libraries.
- Maternal
and Child Health Library at the National
Center for Education in Maternal and Child
Health (NCEMCH), Georgetown University.
Databases to collect, manage,
and disseminate knowledge about MCH, with special
emphasis on knowledge gained from initiatives and
programs
supported by the Maternal
and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). The library
collaborates with the National
Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
(OHRC) on the oral health content of its databases.
The library's bibliographic database is
MCHLine®.
Online catalog of materials in the Maternal and
Child Health Library. The OHRC
collection of oral health print and electronic
materials is also accessible via MCHLine®.
Also see the MCH
Organizations Database.
- National
Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC). Evidence-based
clinical practice guidelines and related materials
for health professionals.
Identify guidelines by entering
the following search phrase in the Search box: ("oral
health" OR "dental health services") AND (infant
OR child OR adolescent OR pregnancy). Click
on Search to get your results. NGC is an initiative
of the Agency
for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
- National
Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Portfolio
Online Reporting
Tool (RePORT): RePORTER. Reports,
data, and analyses of NIH research activities,
including information on NIH expenditures and
the results of NIH-supported research. To identify
information on the topic,
conduct several searches. First, enter "oral
health" infants in the search
field and click on Submit query
to get your results. Conduct additional searches
using the following search phrases (must be searched
separately): "oral
health" children; "oral
health" adolescents; "oral
health" pregnancy; dental
infants; dental children; dental
adolescents; dental pregnancy.
There will be some overlap in your search results.
Narrow
your
searches
by selecting a state or adding
terms
to other
search
fields.
- PubMed.
More than 19 million citations for biomedical
articles from MEDLINE and life science journals.
Citations may include links to full-text articles
from PubMed Central or publisher Web sites. To
identify articles about oral health and pregnancy,
enter the search phrase, (oral health OR dental
health services) AND pregnancy. Click on Limits
and make the following selections on the page:
select a date (e.g. Published in the last 2 years); click on Languages: English;
Click on Species: Humans; and select
Search Field Tags: MeSH Major Topic. Click on Search
to get your results. To identify articles
about oral health and infants, children, and adolescents,
conduct a separate search.
Enter the search phrase, oral health OR dental
health services. Click on Limits
and make the following selections on the page:
select a date (e.g. Published in the last
2 years); click on Languages: English;
Click on Species: Humans; Click on
Ages: All Child: 0-18 years; and select Search
Field Tags: MeSH Major Topic. Click
on Search
to get your results. Add search terms to further
limit your searches (e.g., (oral health OR dental
health services) AND dental caries). Use the MeSH
(Medical Subject Headings) database to identify
search terms. PubMed is a service of
the National
Library of Medicine (NLM).
Also see the HP2010 Information
Access Project for access
to published literature related to the
Healthy People 2010 oral health objectives.
- Also see the Education
Resources Information Center (ERIC) Database and
the NIDCR Special Care Database.
- Programs
Databases
- Community Pediatrics Grants Database. Archive of community
pediatrics grant projects. Identify projects by selecting
Oral/Dental Health in the topic field. Click on Basic Submit
to get
your results.
To narrow your search, select a target population
and/or a state, territory, or country. The database is a service of the American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). AAP also supports oral
health grants via its Community Access to Child Health Program and the Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children Program.
- Discretionary
Grant Information System (DGIS). Information
about more than 900 grants issued by the Maternal
and Child Health Bureau (MCHB).
To view performance measure data for three MCHB
programs about oral health, select Performance
Measures. Click on Program. Data about the three
programs must be searched and viewed separately,
as follows:
(1)
under Child and Adolescent Health, select Children’s
Oral Healthcare Access Program; click on Next;
select the performance measure; and click on
Next to view the data; (2) under Child and Adolescent
Health, select Oral Health; click on Next; select
the performance measure; and click on Next to
view the data; and (3) under Training, select
Pediatric Dentistry; click on Next; select a
performance measure; and click on Next to view
the data. For program information about grants
related to oral health, select Abstracts.
Type dental
dentist =oral in the search box,
select Any of the words, and click on Search
to get your results. To find products and publications
produced by MCHB training grantees, select Program
Data; click on Training; and click on Search
Products and Publications. Type dental dentist
=oral in the search box; select Any of the
words; and click on Search to get your results.
- Health
Care Innovations Exchange.
Profiles of successful and attempted innovations
and tools to improve
health
care delivery
with a particular emphasis on reducing disparities
in health care and health
among racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.
View the profiles, Dental Health Care. The exchange is an initiative
of the Agency
for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
- Health
Services Research Projects in Progress (HSRProj).
Information about ongoing health services
research and public health projects. To identify
projects, enter ("oral
health" OR
dental) AND (infant OR child OR adolescent
OR pregnancy) in the search box. Click on Search to get your
results. HSRProj is funded by the National
Library of Medicine (NLM).
- MCHB-Funded
Projects Database. Information
about oral health projects funded by the Maternal
and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) nationwide.
This database is a service of the National
Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
(OHRC). Final
reports are available from
several of these projects and include
Access
to Pediatric Oral Health Services in Lane
County, Oregon: Final Report. (2009).
Also see MCHB’s Discretionary Grant Information System (DGIS).
- MCH
Organizations Database.
Information on over 2,000 government, professional,
and voluntary organizations involved in MCH
activities, primarily at a national level.
View OHRC's list of links to
clearinghouses and resource centers, government
agencies (federal and state), foundations,
Head Start–related centers and offices, policy
and research centers, professional associations,
programs
and initiatives,
and
voluntary organizations.
For a broader list of oral health organizations,
enter "oral health" in the keyword field of
the database
search form. Click on Search to get
your results. The
database
is a service of the Maternal
and Child Health Library.
- Medicaid
Benefits: Online Database. Information about
benefits covered, populations served, and the
limitations, co-payments, and reimbursement
policies that apply to Medicaid benefits for
all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and
U.S. territories. Search by state or for benefits
by service (Select Practitioner Services, Dental
Services). This database is a service of the Kaiser
Family Foundation (KFF).
- State
and Territorial Dental Public Health Activities.
Descriptive summaries for oral health
public health activities that states and territories
have reported as successful within the context
of their environment and resources. Contact
information is given with the summaries. The
database is searchable by topic and state.
This database is a product of the Association
of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD).
- Synopses
of State and Territorial Dental Public Health
Programs (Synopses). Characteristics
of and programs conducted by state and territorial
oral health programs, including water-fluoridation
programs, dental sealant programs, oral-health-education
programs, and oral-health-screening programs.
This information is useful in tracking progress
toward the Healthy People
2010 oral health objectives. Synopses is
a collaborative effort between CDC’s
Division of Oral Health and the Association
of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD).
- Also see OHRC’s database of
oral health projects funded by the Office
of Head Start (OHS).

Newsletters and Online
Discussion Lists
- American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Oral
Health E-Newsletter. This
monthly newsletter provides information about news,
funding opportunities, training and career development,
conferences, and resources related to infant,
child, and
adolescent
oral health.
- American
Association for Community Dental Programs (AACDP):
The Bellwether: Leading Local Efforts to Improve
the Nation’s Oral Health. This newsletter,
for those serving vulnerable populations at
the community level, highlights innovative
or promising programs and shares information
about the association's activities.
- American
Association of Public Health Dentistry (AAPHD):
Communique. This newsletter
presents news, conference and continuing education
announcements, and information about resources
that focus on public health dentistry.
- American
Dental Education Association (ADEA): Washington
Update. Published monthly when
Congress is in session, this electronic newsletter
reports on federal legislative and regulatory
news about oral health, dental education, and dental
research.
- Association
of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD):
Oral Health Matters. This newsletter
reports on oral health programs, grants, meetings,
and resources for public
health professionals.
- Dental
Public Health Discussion List.
This online discussion group about dental public
health is open to dental public health professionals
and policymakers. It is supported by the University
of Pittsburgh as a public service.
- National
Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
(NIDCR): News from NIDCR.
Published several times a year, this newsletter
reports on oral health
funding opportunities and research from NIDCR and
the National
Institutes of Health (NIH).
- National
Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
(OHRC): Electronic Lists and Newsletters.
Community
Oral Health Programs Discussion List.
This online discussion list focuses on
the operation of local oral health programs.
OHRC
Announcements.
This e-mail alert service highlights
publications, Web site features, and
other news from OHRC.
Oral
Health Alert: Focus on Head Start.
This monthly newsletter highlights national
campaigns and initiatives, materials,
and journal articles.
- National
Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA): NNOHA
News.
This quarterly newsletter reports on
meetings, resources, and success stories for and
about oral health professionals
who care for individuals in migrant, homeless, and community
health centers. NNOHA also provides an online discussion list for oral health professionals in public health centers to exchange experiences and ideas.
- National
Oral Health Policy Center: TrendNotes. This electronic
newsletter highlights emerging trends in
children’s oral health and promotes policies
and programmatic solutions that are grounded
in evidence-based research
and practice.
- Oral
Health America: eNewsletter. This
newsletter is published periodically and provides
oral health news, legislative updates, and
links to articles and reports.

Resources
for Consumers
Find Care
- Academy
of General Dentistry (AGD): Find an AGD Dentist.
Search by name, city, state, zip code,
or country.
- American
Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD): Find
a Pediatric Dentist. Search by
zip code.
- American
Academy of Periodontology (AAP): Find a Periodontist.
Search by name, city, state, zip code, area code, or country.
- American
Association of Orthodontists (AAO): Find an Orthodontist.
Search by name, address, city, state, zip code, or
country.
- American
Dental Association (ADA): Find a Dentist.
Search by name, city, state, zip code,
or area of specialty (e.g., pediatric
dentistry).
- Health
Resources and Services Administration (HRSA):
Find a Health Center.
Search by address,
city, state, or zip code to find a federally funded
health
center that provides free
or low-cost care, including oral health care.
- Special
Olympics Healthy Athletes: Find A Provider.
Search by area of specialty (e.g., Dental Care),
age group
treated, whether Medicaid is accepted, as
well as health professional name, address, city,
state, zip code, or country to find health professionals
who have experience in the needs and care of people
with intellectual disabilities.
- See the National
Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
(NIDCR) fact sheet, Finding
Low-Cost Dental Care, rev. ed. (2009).

Web Sites for Consumers
- Academy
of General Dentistry (AGD): KnowYourTeeth.
Articles and facts on topics that include
toothbrushing, dental caries, emergency care,
fluoride, mouth guards, oral piercing, and pregnancy;
a blog; an "ask-a-dentist"
forum; and a newsletter.
Also offers a tooth
timeline for information about
tooth
and
mouth changes and recommended care at every stage
of life.
- American
Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD): Parent
Resource Center.
Answers to frequently asked questions,
tips, and brochures about improving your child’s
oral health. Includes a special section for
and about teens. Recent publications include
Healthy
Smiles: A Family Guide. (2009).
- American
Dental Association (ADA): Public Oral Health
Information. News
and information on a wide range of oral health topics
affecting babies, children,
teens, and pregnant women. Some information
is available in Spanish. Includes animations, games,
and stories for children about taking care
of teeth and gums.
- American
Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA): Oral
Health Information.
Instructions for brushing and flossing, fact
sheets about premature birth and child and
teen oral health, posters about tobacco use
and periodontal disease, and Spanish-language
materials.
- California
Dental Association (CDA): Patient Education
Tools. Fact sheets
in English, Spanish, Hmong, Chinese, Russian,
and Vietnamese on topics that include dental caries,
dental emergencies, dental sealants, fluoride, methamphetamine
use and oral health, mouth guards, orthodontics,
pregnancy, and wisdom teeth. Also
see
CDA’s First Smiles.
- MouthPower Online.
Information for kids and teachers in English and
Spanish about oral anatomy and the effects of foods,
oral hygiene habits, and cigarette and spit tobacco
use on oral health.
- National
Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
(OHRC): Bright Futures Toolbox for Children,
Adolescents, and Families.
Links to materials for children, teens, and
parents about caring for teeth and mouths.
Also links to non-English-language oral health
materials for families. Recent educational brochures
include
A
Healthy Smile for Your Baby: Tips to Keep Your Baby
Healthy/Una
Sonrisa Saludable para Tu Bebé: Consejos para
Mantener
Sano a Tu Bebé. (2009).
A Healthy Smile
for Your Young Child: Tips to Keep Your Child Healthy/Una
Sonrisa Saludable para Tu Niño Pequeño: Consejos
para Mantener Sano a Tu Niño. (2009).
- Note: Many of the Web sites
listed in the sections Web
Sites of State Organizations and Resources
on Specific Aspects of Oral Health contain
resources for consumers.

Resources
on Specific Aspects of Oral Health
Child Care and Head
Start
- American
Academy of
Pediatric Dentistry
(AAPD): Head
Start Dental Home Initiative. Information
about this partnership at the national, regional,
state, and local levels to
develop a national network of dentists to link
children enrolled in Head Start and Early Head Start
with dental homes. Includes contact information for
Head Start initiative state leaders and regional
consultants. This initiative is a collaborative effort
between AAPD
and
the Office
of Head Start (OHS).
- California
Childcare Health Program (CCHP).
Fact sheets, briefs, posters, and
other resources
to help child care professionals and families
achieve healthy and safe practices in
child
care settings. Oral health topics include
dental caries, tooth and mouth care, toothbrush
care,
limiting the consumption of foods high in
sugar, dental injuries, and oral health for children
with special health
care needs. Many materials are available
in Spanish. Also presents an oral health curriculum
in English and Spanish for
health and child care professionals. CCHP
is a program of the University of California,
San Francisco,
School
of Nursing.
- National
Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
(OHRC): Head Start. A collection of resources
to share with those working to improve access to
and enhance the
quality of oral health services for infants,
children, and pregnant
women enrolled in Early Head Start
and Head Start. Includes materials from
a series of national, professional, regional,
and state forums about improving
oral health status in the Early Head Start
and Head Start community and a compilation of
answers to frequently asked questions from
Head Start program staff. Also
includes a database of
oral health projects funded by OHS and Oral
Health Alert: Focus on Head Start, a monthly
newsletter about Head Start initiatives and
resources. OHRC has developed materials for
the Head Start community; recent publications include
Be an Oral
Health Champion. (2009). [Booklet].
Resource
Highlights: Focus on Head Start.
(2009). [Resource brief].
Wisconsin
Final Report Format: Follow-up Activities
to EHS/HS State/Territorial Oral Health Forums. (2009).
Also see Open
Wide: Oral Health Training
for Health Professionals (2004),
which is appropriate for Early
Head Start and Head Start professionals, and Head
Start Oral Health Curricula: At-a-Glance (2008).
For additional Head Start
oral
health information and resources,
see OHRC’s collection of
oral health print and electronic materials, including
non-English-language materials, and a list of
links to Head Start–related
Web
sites.
- Project
Ready Smile: Children’s Oral Health Initiative.
Program information and materials for
this initiative to improve
the oral health of infants and children
from birth
to age 6 from families with low incomes residing
in selected counties in Kansas and Missouri and
enrolled in early-childhood-education programs.
Services include oral health
screenings,
fluoride-varnish
applications, referrals for free oral health treatment
and care, and oral health education. Recent publications
include
Project
Ready Smile Evaluation Status Report. (2009).
- South
Carolina Department of Health and Environmental
Control
Division of Oral Health:
Early Childhood Oral Health. A resource
guide, curricula, presentation materials, and other
educational materials for child care
professionals, early childhood educators, and parents
to prevent oral diseases and oral injuries and to
teach
young
children about their mouths
and how to take care of their teeth.
- Geurink K, Isman B. 2009. Head
Start Oral Health Project: Evaluation Report, 2001–2008. New Bern, NC: Association
of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD). This report summarizes
the activities
and evaluation of a project to improve the oral health of children in Early Head
Start and Head Start between 2001 and 2007. Also see the report summary.
- Massachusetts
Office of Oral Health. 2009. Growing
Healthy Smiles in the Child Care Setting: Implementing
a Tooth Brushing Program to Promote Oral Health and
Prevent Tooth Decay in the Child Care Setting.
Massachusetts Office of Oral Health. This guide for
child care professionals describes the problem of
oral
disease in children, the causes of dental caries
and prevention, new state regulations for
toothbrushing in the child care setting, and strategies
to implement a toothbrushing program
in a child
care setting.
- National
Training Institute for Child Care Health Consultants
(NTI). 2007. Healthy
Smiles Through Child Care Health Consultation:
A Distance Learning Course.
Chapel Hill, NC: National
Training Institute for Child Care Health Consultants
(NTI). This online course about infant and
child oral health is designed for child
care health consultants. Topics address tooth development,
major oral diseases, prevention
strategies, access
to oral health
care, techniques for oral health promotion, and
oral health for children with special health
care needs.
- Office
of Head Start (OHS).
2006. Program
Instruction in Oral Health, rev. ed. Washington,
DC: Administration
for Children and Families (ACF). These guidelines
explain OHS policies and expectations for grantee
compliance with selected oral health requirements.
The guidelines are also available
in Spanish.
- Schwarz R, Sykes T, Stanton C. 2009. Oral
Health Resource Guide for Children Ages 0–5.
Tempe, AZ: Arizona
Head Start Association. This
guide
describes resources that can be used
to educate expecting parents, parents of
infants, and children up to age
5 about oral health.
- Tein N. 2009. Developing
an Oral Health Medicaid Portability Model for
Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Children: An
Expert Meeting—Meeting Summary Report.
Washington, DC: Altarum Institute. This summary
reports on a 2008 meeting about opportunities
and challenges
in addressing
Medicaid eligibility and enrollment for children
of migrant and seasonal farmworkers enrolled
in Head Start. A
presentation accompanies the report.
- Also see First
Smiles. The section Web Sites
for Consumers contains materials that can be
used in child care and Head
Start settings.

Dental Caries
- American
Dental Association (ADA): Tooth Decay and Dental
Caries. Journal articles, caries-risk-assessment
forms, and other materials for health professionals
about
dental caries. A recent publication is
Symposium
on Early Childhood Caries in American Indian and
Alaska Native Children (2009).
[Report].
Also see ADA’s materials for
parents about ECC and dental
caries.
- Center
to Address Disparities in Children’s Oral Health
(CAN DO Center).
Information about research programs to understand,
prevent, and reduce oral health disparities
among young children. CAN DO’s primary focus
is preventing ECC. CAN DO is located at the
University of California, San Francisco, School
of Dentistry.
- First
Smiles. Education resources
and training tools for oral health, health,
and early childhood education professionals,
as well as materials for parents of young children,
including
those
with special health care needs, on the prevention
of ECC. Includes a resource
guide for creating, implementing, and evaluating
community-based oral health programs for young
children in rural areas. Also presents a brochure
for families, Healthy
Teeth Begin at Birth (2005) which is available
in 10 languages. First Smiles was a joint effort
of the California
Dental Association (CDA) Foundation and
the Dental
Health Foundation that ended in 2008. View
the initiative’s final
evaluation report.
- See the National
Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC) resource guide, Resource Highlights: Focus on Early Childhood Caries. (2009).
- Several of the Web
sites listed in the sections Web
Sites of State Organizations, Distance
Learning Resources, and Web
Sites for Consumers address dental caries.

Dental Sealants
Fluoride Varnish
- American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Oral Health Initiative:
Fluoride. A chart
and map with information about
Medicaid
reimbursement by state
for oral health screening and fluoride
varnish application by physicians. Also includes
a fluoride varnish product list and instructions
for families in English, Spanish, Cambodian,
Hmong,
Oromo,
Somali,
and Vietnamese about care after fluoride varnish
treatment.
- Maryland
Mouth Matters: Fluoride Varnish and Oral Health
Screening
Program for Kids. Program information and materials for EPSDT health
professionals in Maryland, including
Fluoride
Varnish and Oral Health Screening Program Manual
for Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and
Treatment
(EPSDT) Medical Providers in Maryland: Procedures,
Policies and Protocols. (2009).
What
You Need to Know About ... Fluoride Varnish.
(2009). [Brochure].
- North
Dakota Oral Health Program: Fluoride Varnish.
A collection of resources about fluoride varnish
including a brochure for parents of young children,
a research brief on the evidence
base for fluoride varnish, a reference guide
for health professionals, Medicaid reimbursement
guidelines, the North Dakota
legal authorities to apply fluoride
varnish, a sample parental consent form, a sample
standing medical order, and a list of supplies.
- Altarum
Institute. 2009. Topical
Fluoride Recommendations for High-Risk Children: Development of Decision Support
Matrix—Recommendations from MCHB Expert Panel. Washington, DC: Altarum
Institute. This report summarizes recommendations from an expert panel on the use of topical
fluoride in preventing and controlling dental caries in children. A decision
support matrix accompanies the report and offers recommendations on the
use of topical fluoride.
- Texas
Oral Health Program. 2009. Fluoride
Varnish Manual: Happy Child, Bright Smile.
Austin, TX: Texas
Department of State Health Services. This
manual for implementing a fluoride
varnish program in Texas contains information
about fluoride varnish benefits and application
protocols. The manual includes sample forms and
parent-education-materials in English and Spanish,
a fluoride varnish products list and ordering
information, and a supply list.
- See the American
Dental Association (ADA) report, Evidence-Based
Clinical Recommendations: Professionally Applied
Topical Fluoride (2006).
An executive
summary is available.
- See the Association
of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) research
brief, Fluoride
Varnish: An Evidence-Based Approach (2007)
to help public health professionals design and
evaluate community-based programs that
use fluoride varnish.
- See the National
Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC) bibliography about fluoride varnish.
- Also
see Smiles
for Life: A National Oral Health Curriculum for
Family Medicine. Several
of the Web sites listed in the section Web
Sites of State Organizations offer information
about fluoride varnish.

K–12 Education
- American
Dental Association (ADA): Smile Smarts! Oral
Health Curriculum. An oral health curriculum
for students in preschool through grade 8 offering
lesson
plans, support materials, hands-on classroom
demonstrations, student activity sheets, and
suggestions for supplemental oral health activities.
Also see ADA’s
classroom resources for National
Children’s Dental Health Month (NCDHM).
- Education
Resources Information Center (ERIC) Database.
Information about journal articles,
research reports, teaching guides, curricula,
conference papers, and books covering all aspects
of education-related issues. To identify resources
on the topic, click on Advanced Search. Type "dental
health" OR "oral health" in the Search
Term(s) box. Go to the Publication
Date field to select a date range. Click on
the Search button to get your results. ERIC
is sponsored by the Department
of Education.
- KidsHealth
in the Classroom.
Guides for teaching students about oral
health in preschool through grade
2,
grades
6–8, and grades 9–12. The guides include discussion
questions, activities, and handouts. Enter teeth in
the search box to get the guides and supporting
materials. KidsHealth is a service of the Nemours
Foundation.
- Virginia
Division of Dental Health: Curriculum Resources
for Schools.
A curriculum
to educate
students about the impact of health behaviors
on oral and overall health. The curriculum
includes lesson plans for school staff to use
with elementary, middle, and high school students;
PowerPoint presentations; and activity sheets.
- Maryland
Office of Oral Health. 2009. Children’s
Dental Health Bulletin Board.
Baltimore, MD: Maryland Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene. This set of 11 sheets is designed
to hang on a bulletin board and
covers the basics of oral health care.
- See the National
Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC) publication, Promoting
Oral Health in Schools: A Resource Guide (2009).
- The section Web
Sites for Consumers contains materials that
can be used in the classroom.

Pregnancy
- Children’s
Dental Health Project (CDHP): Improving Perinatal
and Infant Oral Health Project. Information about the activities
and accomplishments of this program to promote the oral health of
pregnant women and children and to increase awareness of the importance
of perinatal and infant oral health among health professionals, policymakers,
and the public. The project is a collaborative effort between CDHP and
the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD). Recent resources include
Medicaid
Coverage of Dental Care for Pregnant Women. (2009). [Policy brief].
- National
Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
(OHRC): Perinatal.
Materials about pregnancy and oral health for
health professionals and consumers. Also see OHRC’s
bibliographies about pregnancy and periodontal
health for consumers and professionals.
Recent publications include
Resource
Highlights: Focus on Pregnancy and Periodontal Health. (2009). [Resource
brief].
Two
Healthy Smiles: Tips to Keep You and Your Baby Healthy, rev. ed./Dos
Sonrisas Saludables: Consejos para Mantenerte a Ti y a Tu Bebé Sanos, rev. ed.
(2009).[Brochures].
- Brown A. 2009. Improving
Perinatal Oral Health: Moving Forward—An
Expert Meeting, Meeting Summary Report.
Washington, DC: Altarum Institute. This report
summarizes a 2008 meeting
convened to foster
partnerships and identify strategies for improving
perinatal oral health.
- Kumar J, Samelson R, eds. 2006. Oral
Health Care During Pregnancy and Early Childhood:
Practice Guidelines. Albany, NY: New
York State Department of Health. These practice
guidelines are intended for use by prenatal,
oral health,
and child health professionals in bringing about
changes in the health care delivery system and
improving the overall standard of care for pregnant
women and young children. Also
see OHRC's summary of
the practice guidelines.
- Northwest
Center to Reduce Oral Health Disparities. 2009. Guidelines
for Oral Health Care in Pregnancy. Seattle, WA: University of Washington
School of Dentistry. This document provides guidelines and recommendations
for providing oral health care to women during their pregnancies. It discusses
treatment considerations related to hypertension, diabetes, the use of
heparin, and the risk of aspiration and need for proper patient positioning
during dental procedures. A chart summarizes recommendations during various
pregnancy stages and provides some cautions.
- South
Carolina Division of Oral Health. 2010. Dental
Care Before, During and After Pregnancy. Columbia, SC: South
Carolina Department of Health and Environmental
Control. This brochure for women highlights the importance of
good perinatal oral health care.
- See the American
Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) clinical practice guidelines, Guideline on Perinatal Oral Health Care (2009).
- Also see Smiles
for Life: A National Oral Health Curriculum for
Family Medicine and the MCHCOM.com webcasts. Several
of the Web sites listed in the sections Web
Sites of State Organizations and Web
Sites
for Consumers contain resources about
perinatal oral health.

School-Based and
School-Linked Care
- Association
of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD):
School and Adolescent Oral Health. Information
about school and adolescent oral health programs,
tools for integrating oral health into coordinated
school health programs, and state profiles
about school and adolescent oral health. ASTDD's resource, Best
Practice Approaches, presents state and
community practice examples and reports about school
fluoride and dental sealant programs.
- Center
for Health and Health Care in Schools (CHHCS):
School-Based Dental Health. A collection
of resources about school-based oral health services
including background papers,
tools for clinic operations and management, papers
on financing issues, model state and local
oral health
policies and program information, links to
additional resources, and a bibliography.
- Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): School-Based Dental Sealant
Programs.
Information about dental sealants and the role of school-based
programs. Includes recommendations for practitioners in school-based
programs.
- National
Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
(OHRC). A bibliography about
school-based oral health programs. Other materials
include
Promoting
Oral Health in Schools: A Resource Guide (2009).
This guide includes a section with
resources about school-based oral health
screenings,
examinations,
and care.
Seal
America: The Prevention
Invention, 2nd ed. (2007). This online
manual is designed to assist health professionals
with initiating and implementing a school-based
dental sealant program. The manual was
developed by Nancy Carter with
assistance from the American
Association for Community
Dental Programs (AACDP) and
OHRC.
- Oral
Health America (OHA): Smiles Across America. Information about this oral-disease-prevention
and health-promotion initiative linking corporate,
government, and community support in advancing
school-based or school-linked oral health programs
for families without access to routine oral
health care.
- Crespin M, Ordinans K,
Tatro
BJ. 2009. Partnering
to Seal-a-Smile: A Report on the Success
of Wisconsin School-Based Dental Sealant
Programs. Milwaukee, WI: Children’s
Health Alliance of Wisconsin. This
report describes the Seal-a-Smile
Program, which provides school-based oral health services to children in
Wisconsin, and highlights the program's accomplishments.
An executive
summary accompanies the report.
- Montana Oral Health Program. 2009. School
Based Fluoride Mouthrinse Program: To Promote
Oral Health and Reduce Tooth Decay. Helena,
MT: Montana
Department of Public Health and Human Services.
This fact sheet describes a fluoride mouthrinse
program for Montana students in kindergarten
through grade 6
who do not have access to optimal levels of fluoride
in community water.
- Ohio
Bureau of Oral Health Services. 2009. School-Based
Dental Sealant Program Manual. Columbus,
OH: Ohio
Department of Health.
This manual outlines expectations and standards for school-based dental sealant
programs funded by the Ohio Department of Health
(ODH).
The manual addresses local program operations,
regulatory
compliance, compliance with ODH policies,
sealant program eligibility, sample program forms, clinical materials and methods,
retention checks, Medicaid billing and collection, performance benchmarks and
performance standards, reporting, and program reviews. Also see School-Based
Dental Sealant Programs (2009), a series
of online learning modules for program
staff that covers infection control, tooth
selection
and assessment
for dental sealants,
materials and application techniques,
and program operations, with an emphasis
on the specific requirements that apply
to programs funded by ODH.
- Texas
Oral Health Program. 2009. Seal
a Smile Texas Style:
A Sealant Manual for the Oral Health Program,
rev. ed.
Austin, TX: Texas
Department of State Health Services. This
manual for implementing a dental sealant program
in Texas schools contains information about dental
sealant benefits, planning for a school clinic,
challenges to establishing a program, equipment
and supplies needed, referral and follow-up procedures,
and sample
forms and
parent-education materials in English and Spanish.
- Several of the resources listed in the section Web
Sites of State Organizations offer
information about state-supported, school-based
oral health programs.

Special Health Care Needs
- Association
of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD):
Children with Special Health Care Needs. Information
about efforts in states and territories to
improve the
oral
health of
children with
special health care needs. Includes a collection
of state forum reports and action plans and
links to materials to support state efforts.
Recent publications include
ASTDD
Support for State CSHCN Oral Health Forums, Action Plans and Follow-Up Activities:
Interim Evaluation Summary. (2009).
Also see ASTDD’s resource, Best
Practice Approaches, which presents state and
community practice examples and reports about
improving the oral health of children, adolescents,
and adults with special health care needs.
- National
Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped (NFDH).
Information about its programs to provide oral health
services to individuals with special
health care needs and elderly citizens through
oral health professionals who donate their services.
NFDH is an affiliate of the American Dental Association (ADA).
- National
Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR):
Special Needs.
A series of booklets for health professionals
and families about delivering oral health care
to individuals
with special health
care needs. Also presents information and resources
for health professionals and consumers
about
managing and preventing oral
complications of systemic diseases (cancer
treatment, developmental disabilities, diabetes
mellitus, heart disease,
and
HIV and AIDS). NIDCR also offers
NIDCR
Special Care Database. Citations for materials
that focus on care for individuals with genetic
or systemic
disorders that affect oral,
dental, or craniofacial health, whose medical treatments
cause oral problems, or whose intellectual or physical
disabilities complicate oral hygiene or dental treatment.
Materials include fact sheets, brochures,
audiovisuals, and other educational materials for
consumers and
health professionals.
- National
Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
(OHRC): Children with Special Health Care Needs.
Policy brief, resource guide, fact sheet, and tip
sheet about planning, developing, and implementing
efforts to ensure that children and adolescents with
special health care needs receive optimal oral
health care. Other resources include
Oral
Health for Children with Special Health
Care Needs: Priorities for Action—Recommendations
from an MCHB Expert Meeting.
(2009). [Report, Presentation].
Special
Care: An Oral Health Professional's Guide
to Serving Young Children with Special Health
Care Needs. (2006). This series of five
self-study modules provides oral health
professionals
with information
to ensure
that
young children
with special health care needs have access
to health-promotion and disease-prevention
services that address their unique oral health
needs in a comprehensive, family-centered,
and community-based manner.
Also see OHRC’s bibliography about
oral health for children and adolescents with
special health care needs.
- New
York State Developmental Disabilities Planning
Council.
Pamphlets about oral health for individuals
with disabilities, their families and caregivers,
and oral health professionals:
All
About Oral Health: Dentistry for Individuals with Disabilities. (2009).
Making
a Dental Home for You and Your Child: Dentistry for Individuals with
Disabilities. (2009).
Medicaid and State Health Insurance Coverage: Oral Health Care for Individuals
with Disabilities. (2009).
Preparing
for the Dental Visit: Dentistry for Individuals with Disabilities. (2009).
Taking
Care of Your Baby’s Teeth: Dentistry for Individuals with Disabilities. (2009).
Taking
Care of Your Teeth and Gums. (2009).
Things
You Should Know About X-Rays and Sedation: Dentistry for Individuals
with Disabilities. (2009).
- Pacific
Center for Special Care.
Information about its programs and
efforts to
improve access to oral health care
for individuals with special health care needs,
including people who have difficulty maintaining
good oral
health
or accessing oral health services because of developmental,
medical, physical, or social conditions. The center
is an organization within the
Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry.
- Special
Care Dentistry Association (SCDA).
Links to educational modules, a product guide,
and other resources about the oral health care
of individuals with special health care needs.
Access to most resources is limited to SCDA members
or is available for
a fee.
- Special
Olympics: Healthy Athletes.
Information about this initiative to provide health
screenings to athletes free of charge at Special
Olympics competitions. Health screenings are
offered in seven areas, one of which is oral health
(Special Smiles). Presents information for
health professionals about volunteering in
the program and resources for
health professionals that include training
manuals, handbooks, forms, and patient-education
materials. Also offers an online
directory of local
health professionals who have experience in the
needs and care of people with intellectual disabilities. Special
Olympics is an international organization
dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual
disabilities to become physically fit, productive,
and respected members of society through sports
training and competition.
- Virginia
Division of Dental Health: Children with Special
Health Care Needs Oral Health.
Information about state oral health
initiatives for children with special health
care needs. Recent materials for parents
include
A
Healthy
Mouth for Children with Special Health Care Needs: A Parent's Guide. (2009).
[Brochure].
Oral Health Care Tips for: Children with Special
Health Care Needs (CSHCN). (2009). [Fact sheet].
Visiting
the Dentist: Children with Special Health Care Needs. (2009). [Brochure].
- Family
Voices. 2009. Friday's
Child: Special Oral Health Edition. Albuquerque,
NM: Family Voices. This newsletter issue describes
efforts in Kansas to ensure that children with special
health care needs have access to appropriate oral
health
services. The newsletter also describes the oral
health provisions in the federal Children’s Health
Insurance Program.
- See the American
Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) clinical practice guidelines, Management
of Dental Patients with Special Health Care
Needs, rev. ed. (2008) and the policy statement, Model
Dental Benefits for Infants, Children, Adolescents,
and Individuals with Special Health
Care Needs (2008).
- Also see Healthy
Smiles Through Child Care Health Consultation and First
Smiles. Several
of the Web sites listed in the section Web
Sites of State Organizations contain resources
about oral health for individuals with special
health care needs.

Authors:
Susan Brune Lorenzo, M.L.S., Maternal and Child Health
Library; Katrina Holt, M.P.H., M.S., R.D., OHRC.
Contributors: Jolene Bertness, M.Ed., OHRC; Elizabeth
Lowe, M.P.H., R.D.H., OHRC; Ebony Stoutmiles, OHRC.
Reviewers: Sarah Kolo, OHRC.
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