DentaQuest Institute

The Problem
Communities across the country are seeking creative and effective approaches to increase access to services that prevent and treat dental disease, particularly in populations at increased risk for disease. National data suggest that children in low-income and minority groups are less likely to receive preventive dental care, evidenced by the fact that only 33% of children in Medicaid had visited a dentist in the past year (MEPS 2004-05). As a result, the Government Accountability Office estimates that 6.5 million children in Medicaid have untreated tooth decay.

Increasingly, efforts to expand access to care in at-risk populations are focusing on schools as an ideal service-delivery setting. Well-documented barriers to access, such as transportation and time off work for parents, are overcome in a school setting, where children spend the bulk of their time. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action on Oral Health highlights the need to apply the latest science through community-based collaborations that focus on replicating effective programs. Key to the success of these efforts is the knowledge, tools, and technical assistance to develop sustainable programs that produce measurable increases in access to care and improvements in oral health.

What We’re Doing
DentaQuest brings a range of tools and resources to bear in helping communities increase access to care through school-based programs. This bundled experience includes:

• Assessment: Thoroughly analyze community need and readiness, compiling all available data to paint an accurate picture of gaps and potential for filling them.
• Facilitation: Bring together all community partners with a stake in children’s oral health to shape a locally-defined definition of the challenges and solutions.
• Planning: Apply proven strategies for effectively implementing school-based oral health programs to develop a plan that is based on community’s unique circumstances.
• Technical Assistance: Provide hands-on guidance to implement program plan in a ways that minimizes risk and enhances likelihood of success.
• Funding: Bring together local, regional and national funders and payers to ensure adequate start-up funding for program and alignment of on-going payment systems to ensure sustainable program funding.
• Evaluation: Develop and implement a measurement plan to objectively evaluate the program’s impact on access, disparities and oral health.

Our model of bringing together schools, community health centers and other community constituents ensures that the programs stay viable over time, and provides the necessary data to demonstrate the program’s impact.

What We’re Finding
School-based programs that are run in partnership with local safety net dental clinics and health centers also have the potential to contribute to lasting health improvements, linking the child and his/her family to a health resource for ongoing, comprehensive care.

The key to the success of school-based dental programs is good planning, effective collaboration among critical partners, technical assistance in developing and implementing a quality program, adequate public and private support.

What’s Next
For more information about technical assistance to support school based programs, contact Safety Net Solutions at info@dentaquestinstitute.org.