271273 Oral Health Promotion at WIC Programs

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Kathryn Dolan, RDH, MEd , Department of Public Health and Community Service, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA
In 2010, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine began a partnership with the Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program (WIC) to implement a Fluoride Varnish Program at selected WIC sites in Massachusetts. The WIC Fluoride Varnish Program has four components: (1) oral health screening; (2) anticipatory oral health guidance; (3) promoting the age-one dental visit; and (4) fluoride varnish application. The Fluoride Varnish Program serves infants and children at high risk for dental disease and provides anticipatory guidance in dental care for low-income pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women. The families participating in WIC are typically Medicaid beneficiaries with low socioeconomic status, low levels of parental education, no access to dental services and no dental home. By raising the level of awareness and understanding of oral health, WIC families can make more informed decisions on their oral health care. The WIC Fluoride Varnish Program addresses the following Health People 2020 oral health objectives: OH-1.1 Reduce the proportion of young children aged 3 to 5 years with dental caries experience in their primary teeth; OH- 2.1 Reduce the proportion of young children aged 3 to 5 years with untreated dental decay in their primary teeth; OH-7 Increase the proportion of children, adolescents, and adults who used the oral health care system in the past 12 months; OH-8 Increase the proportion of low-income children and adolescents who received any preventive dental service during the past year. The long term impact on the WIC community served will be improved oral health and overall health.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Provision of health care to the public

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the components of an effective oral health program for WIC.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Kathryn Dolan RDH, MEd is an Assistant Professor at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Department of Public Health and the Director of the Tufts Community Dental Program. Ms Dolan oversees the statewide community dental program, Oral Health Across the Commonwealth, selected as a Best Practice by the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) for improving children’s oral health through coordinated school health programs and prevention and control of early childhood tooth decay.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.