An initiative recognized for bringing oral health clinics to public schools across the Carolinas is expanding to include dozens of Head Start centers and other early childhood centers, including ones in Stanly County.
The School-Based Oral Health Initiative, which previously worked solely with school-age children, will serve preschoolers ages 3-5 in the federally funded Head Start program.
“This expansion provides the unique and exciting opportunity to open new pathways to care and prevent oral health problems before they have a chance to take hold,” said Daijah Davis, director, Oral Health at the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, which is supporting the effort alongside the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation and The Duke Endowment.
“Many dental programs have shared that by the time they see children in kindergarten it is often too late to prevent dental disease, as many have already begun experiencing decay. Bringing preventive care into the early care and education setting can play a vital role in stopping decay before it begins.”
Statistics show the need for better oral health care is considerable. Only 56% of children ages 3-5 who were enrolled in North Carolina’s Medicaid program received a preventative oral health care service in 2019. Economically vulnerable and low-income children in South Carolina are twice as likely to have untreated cavities and only 13% of children receive dental sealants.
To better meet the need, organizers launched the School-Based Oral Health Initiative in 2018. It began as a six-year grantmaking effort to place school-based dental clinics in rural and underserved parts of North Carolina and South Carolina.
The initiative has funded oral health clinics in more than 400 schools in 64 counties. More than 15,000 children have received services, including more than 6,000 who received dental sealants to help prevent tooth decay. The program also offers oral health literacy and education, and a “dental home” children and families can turn to for services. Early intervention benefits the entire family.
Encouraged by their work in elementary schools, organizers see Head Start programs as the logical next step in integrating oral health care into community settings. Head Start centers, which help low-income children and families develop their skills and prepare for school, are well-positioned to educate and engage families in preventive care. Organizers of the School-Based Oral Health Initiative plan to expand to more than 80 Head Start centers – 40 or more in each state. The first cohort will be located in regions where elementary school clinics are already running.
“These programs have been proven to connect children with a dental home and introduce dental care to the family,” says Erika Kirby, executive director of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation, which supported the launch of school-based oral health programs in South Carolina. “Bringing this model to Head Start introduces the benefit of the program earlier and applies sealant protection when it can be preventive rather than restorative.”
The first cohort of N.C. grantees overseeing these new Head Start-based clinics includes Stanly County Public Health, along with Cabarrus Health Alliance, Columbus County Health Department, East Carolina University, Kinston Community Health Center, Rockingham Public Health, Rural Health Group and Wilkes County Public Health.
In South Carolina, community clinics providing school-based oral health services will extend their reach to Head Start programs. The S.C. grantees include: Beaufort-Jasper-Hampton Comprehensive Health Services, CareSouth Carolina, ChildSmiles Dental Clinic, Fetter Health Care Network, Little River Medical Center and ReGenesis Health Care Services.
Grant funds can be used to support staff time, infrastructure, materials, community engagement, training opportunities and other program needs. They may also be used to provide stipends, grants or other resources to partner Head Start sites.
The new Head Start-focused grantees joined existing school-based oral health grantees in Charlotte on March 6 for the annual School-Based Oral Health Grantee Conference. The effort is a partnership between the Endowment and the Blue Cross foundations.
“We have been so gratified to work with such strong partners over the years on this project,” said Stacy Warren, associate director in The Duke Endowment’s Health Care program area. “We are looking forward to working with our partners and Head Start leaders to bring vitally important oral health care to preschool-age children.”
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation and the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation are independent licensees of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
Based in Charlotte, and established in 1924 by industrialist and philanthropist James B. Duke, The Duke Endowment is a private foundation that strengthens communities in North Carolina and South Carolina by nurturing children, promoting health, educating minds and enriching spirits. Since its founding, it has awarded more than $5 billion in grants. The Endowment shares a name with Duke University and Duke Energy, but they are separate organizations.
Mindy Turner, DDS, a pediatric dentist and dental director of the Stanly County Department of Public Health, explains how the funding will help Stanly County.
“The Stanly County Dental Clinic will partner with the Stanly County Partnership for Children and Save the Children Albemarle Head Start to provide oral health education, supplies and preventative services to children and their families in Stanly County who are enrolled in Pre-K and Head Start programs,” said Turner. “A contract Public Health Dental Hygienist will lead educational sessions for families, offering valuable information on oral health practices.
“To encourage participation, food and oral health care products will be provided during these learning sessions, funded by the grant. In addition, dental screenings will be conducted at the Pre-K and Head Start sites, and children will be offered preventative treatments at the Stanly County Health Department Dental Clinic,” Turner added. “Our goal is to reduce the need for restorative treatments and foster lifelong healthy oral habits. We will achieve this by educating parents and caregivers on effective oral health practices, offering diet recommendations, and promoting regular preventative check-ups. We are hopeful that every child in this program will enter kindergarten cavity-free.”