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James J. Crall, DDS, ScD, Director MCHB National Oral Health Policy Center, Section of Pediatric Dentistry, UCLA School of Dentistry - CHS 23-021A, 10833 LeConte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1668, 310-206-3172, jcrall@dent.ucla.edu, Leslie A. Best, BA, Division of Health Risk Assessment, Pennsylvania Department of Health, 7th and Forster St., Room 108, Health & Welfare Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120, Howard Tolchinsky, DMD, State Public Health Dentist, Pennsylvania Department of Health, 7th and Forster St., Room 108, Health and Welfare Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120, and Tina Strickler, BS, Oral Health Office, Arizona Department of Health Services, 1740 West Adams, Room 10, Phoenix, AZ 85007.
Fewer than one in five Medicaid covered children receive preventive dental services each year. While many factors contribute to the statistic, a lack of dental providers tops the list. Beyond increasing the number of practicing dentists, several states are developing innovative solutions that are providing results in the short-term. Pennsylvania, one of the few states that allow Expanded Function Dental Assistants (EFDAs) to place restorative filling materials and sealants, is expanding its EFDA program. It released a RFA in January 2004 to develop and implement an EFDA curriculum and training program. The state is using financial incentives to support interest in EFDA training. The project includes outreach to dental assistants employed by safety-net clinics or from practices with a 15-percent or more Medicaid/SCHIP caseload. In coordination with Pennsylvania Dental Association (PDA), there will be a continuing education course that teaches clinical dentists how to properly use EFDAs.
Arizona is training general dental practitioners to treat children with special health care needs. The state developed the Experiential Introduction to Treating Children with Special Needs project. Nine dentists completed the first training, there is a waiting list for the next session. During the training, dentists provided treatment and screenings to 50 children at a special needs school. The curriculum also includes dentists training health aides on oral hygiene. Post-training, each dentist indicated that he/she could add at least one special needs patient per week, which would help up to 500 children with special needs per year.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this Roundtable, the participants in this session will be able to
Keywords: Access and Services, Children With Special Needs
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.