Oral Health Education, PreventiveTreatment for the underserved in a medical settingPLUS outcomes

Ventura County Public Health Childhood Oral Health Program was first funded in 2006 by First 5 Ventura County to address the barriers that prevent children from having healthy teeth and to collect baseline data on the status of children's oral health. The vision of the program was to provide oral health prevention in a medical setting. VCPH staff provided workshops and supplies to medical providers to conduct the oral health risk assessment and fluoride varnish application. Clinic staff began assessing and applying fluoride varnish in 2007. Currently, over 30 clinics are participating. VCPH staff collects and enters data from each participating clinic monthly. Only children seen on the first visit are included in the analysis to avoid duplication, there was a significant number of children who received a second and third fluoride varnish treatment during subsequent medical visits. The preliminary analysis provides a snapshot of childhood oral health in Ventura County. Baseline data shows that children of all ages are not seeing a dentist for preventive care as recommended. Utilization rates demonstrate that more children suffer from tooth decay in Oxnard in comparison to other cities in Ventura County. Parents are receiving dental referrals from their primary clinicians however due to scarcity of dental providers, being under insured or having no coverage at all, children are not being seen. Of the 30 pediatric dentists in Ventura County, none accepts public insurance. These results confirm that the oral intervention in a medical setting is a needed preventative resource for disadvantaged children