Oral Health in Head Start

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Oral Health in Head Start

• What do the Performance Standards say?

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Prevention is Key

• Preventive dental services and treatment are
  designed to ensure that a childs teeth and gums
  are healthy, and that dental health problems do
  not affect a childs overall health

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Determining Child Health Status

• 1034.20(a)
• Determine if the child has a Dental home
• Obtain from a health (dental) care professional a
  determination as to whether the child is
  up-to-date according to the state EPSDT
  periodicity schedule

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Begin with an Examination

• Arkansas EPSDT regulations
• Routine Dental referrals are made at
• 6 9 months
• 12 15 months
• 18 24 months
• Thereafter at each EPSDT screening

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In ArkansasChildren 12 months or over are
eligible for periodic dental exams twice a year
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AR Kids 1st enrollees

• Newborn to 12 months are eligible for one dental
  screen
• 12 months to 21 years are eligible for one dental
  screen and one prophylaxis/fluoride every 150 days

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Dental Follow-up Treatment

• 1304.20(c)(3)(i) (ii)
• Fluoride supplements and/or fluoride treatments
• Other necessary preventative measures recommended
  by the Dentist
• Further dental treatment as recommended by the
  Dentist

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Dental Hygiene

• 1304.23(b)(3)
• Staff must promote effective dental hygiene among
  children in conjunction with meals

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Dental Hygiene

• Effective dental hygiene practices vary according
  to the developmental level and age of the child.
  
• The Head Start Performance Standards provide a
  listing of strategies to promote effective dental
  hygiene

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Dental Hygiene

• For most pre-school aged children, teacher
  demonstration, modeling and verbal encouragement,
  along with daily opportunities to practice
  toothbrushing are the most effective strategies.

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On going Care

• 1304.20(d)
• Implement ongoing procedures by which Head
  Start/EHS staff can identify new or recurring
  dental concerns, so they may quickly make
  appropriate referrals

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Individualization

• 1304.20(f)(1)
• Staff use multiple sources of information to
  individualize the program for each child
• Screening results
• Observations
• Parental consultation
• Medical/Dental evaluations treatment

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Health Emergency Procedures

• 1304.22(a)
• Programs must establish and implement policies
  procedures to respond to medical dental
  emergencies
• Staff must be trained and familiar with these
  policies procedures

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Educating Children

• 1304.21(c)(1)(III)
• Staff must integrate all aspects of medical and
  dental health, nutrition and mental wellness into
  the program activities

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Parent Involvement

• 1304.40(f)(1) (2)
• Programs must provide a variety of educational
  opportunities which include Medical, Dental,
  Nutrition, and Mental Health information
• for Staff, Parents Families

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Parent Involvement

• 1304.40(f)(2)(i)
• The Health and Dental education program must
  assist parents in
• Understanding how to enroll participate in a
  system of ongoing family health care, which
  include medical, dental, nutrition mental
  wellness

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Parent Involvement

• 1304.40(f)(2)(ii)
• The Health and Dental education program must
  encourage parents to
• Become active partners in their childs medical
  and dental health care process
• Accompany their child to examinations and
  follow-up appointments

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Parent Involvement

• 1304.40(f)(2)(iii)
• The Health and Dental education program must
  provide parents with
• Opportunities to learn principles of preventative
  medical dental health
• Information specific to the health/dental needs
  of their child family

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Community Partnerships

• 1304.41(a)(2)(i)
• The program must take affirmative steps to
  establish ongoing collaborative relationships
  with
• Health care providers such as clinics,
  physicians, dentists, and other health care
  professionals

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Community Partnerships

• 1304.41(b)
• The program must establish and maintain a Health
  Services Advisory Committee which includes
  parents, professionals and other volunteers from
  the community

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Human Resources Management

• 1304.52(a)(2)(ii)
• Agencies must ensure that that certain management
  functions are formally assigned to and adopted by
  staff within the program
• Management of health services including child
  medical, dental, mental health and nutrition

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Keep those smiles healthy and bright!