A Comprehensive School-Based/Linked Dental Program: An Essential Piece of the California Access to Care Puzzle

BACKGROUND: Although access to dental care has improved over time, many children still face difficulty in obtaining services.One strategy to increase access is through mobile dental services, often in collaboration with schools, Head Start programs, and school-based health centers. This study evaluates a large mobile dental care program based in Minnesota. METHODS:Thematic analysis of interview data collected during a 2-day site visit and multivariate regression analysis of electronic records of patients (adults and children) that received care from 2000 through 2015, representing 84,279 unique patients. RESULTS:The number of patients increased from 5558 in 2000 to 13,863 in 2015. There was a decline in the share of preventive procedures over this period, from 45.7% to 29.4%, and an increase in the share of patients seen at fixed sites. The interview data revealed that program growth relied on relationships with school leaders, expanded scope of practice for dental assistants and dental therapists, and high Medicaid reimbursement. CONCLUSIONS:Mobile dental care programs can increase both preventive and restorative dental care for individuals who otherwise would not easily access oral health care services; mobile dental programs could be an option in many other communities and schools.

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Expansion of Dental Care for Low‐Income Children Through a Mobile Services Program

Spetz

Pourat

Chen

et al. 2019

Journal of School Health

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A school‐based public health model to reduce oral health disparities

Dudovitz

Valiente

Espinosa

et al. 2017

J Public Health Dent

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Socioeconomic and family influences on dental treatment needs among Brazilian underprivileged schoolchildren participating in a dental health program

et al. 2013

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BackgroundThe objective of this study was to compare the socioeconomic and family characteristics of underprivileged schoolchildren with and without curative dental needs participating in a dental health program.MethodsA random sample of 1411 of 8-to-10 year-old Brazilian schoolchildren was examined and two sample groups were included in the cross-sectional study: 544 presented curative dental needs and the other 867 schoolchildren were without curative dental needs. The schoolchildren were examined for the presence of caries lesions using the DMFT index and their parents were asked to answer questions about socioenvironmental characteristics of their families. Logistic regression models were adjusted estimating the Odds Ratios (OR), their 95% confidence intervals (CI), and significance levels.ResultsAfter adjusting for potential confounders, it was found that families earning more than one Brazilian minimum wage, having fewer than four residents in the house, families living in homes owned by them, and children living with both biological parents were protective factors for the presence of dental caries, and consequently, curative dental needs.ConclusionsSocioeconomic status and family structure influences the curative dental needs of children from underprivileged communities. In this sense, dental health programs should plan and implement strategic efforts to reduce inequities in oral health status and access to oral health services of vulnerable schoolchildren and their families.

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A Comprehensive School-Based/Linked Dental Program: An Essential Piece of the California Access to Care Puzzle

Cited by 5 publications

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Expansion of Dental Care for Low‐Income Children Through a Mobile Services Program

Expansion of Dental Care for Low‐Income Children Through a Mobile Services Program

A school‐based public health model to reduce oral health disparities

Socioeconomic and family influences on dental treatment needs among Brazilian underprivileged schoolchildren participating in a dental health program

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