Community Partnership to Improve Children's Oral Health

Despite improved oral health during the past two decades, oral disease remains a significant health problem for certain U.S. populations. One sub-group at even greater risk for oral disease and lack of access to dental care are Head Start children. Head Start is a comprehensive child development program that serves low-income children from birth through age 5, pregnant women and their families. The overall goal of this child-focused program is to increase the school readiness of young children from families with low incomes. Head Start program performance standards state that programs must determine each child's oral health status within 90 days of entry into the program and ascertain whether the child has a "dental home;" and if the child does not, help parents in obtaining a source of care. Despite these standards, children enrolled in Head Start often experience barriers to dental care. Through partnerships with Columbus Dental Society, The Ohio State University College of Dentistry and YMCA Head Start, dental students have engaged in providing the necessary dental exam for children at Head Start sites. The project has helped Head Start programs determine each child's oral health status within 90 days of entry into the program; it has taught dental students a valuable lesson on community outreach; and it has allowed for incorporation of service learning into the curriculum.AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Homa Amini, Professor of Clinical Dentistry, College of Dentistry, amini.2@osu.edu (Corresponding Author).Despite improved oral health during the past two decades, oral disease remains a significant health problem for certain U.S. populations. One sub-group at even greater risk for oral disease and lack of access to dental care are Head Start children. Head Start program performance standards state that programs must determine each child's oral health status within 90 days of entry into the program. Through partnerships with Columbus Dental Society, the Ohio State College of Dentistry and YMCA Head Start, dental students were engaged in providing the necessary dental exam for children at Head Start sites