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Read the full article from the Pew Center on the States.

Part of DentaQuest’s Oral Health 2014 Initiative, the grant will be used to bring a variety of stakeholders together to identify one or more sustainable models for providing oral health services to low-income children in school-based health care settings.

According to a recent report from the Institute of Medicine, nearly 5 million children went without regular dental checkups in 2008 because of financial limitations, and 33.3 million Americans live in an area with a shortage of dental professionals. The multi-year Oral Health 2014 Initiative aims to eliminate such disparities by supporting state organizations that are building community partnerships to address these issues.

“This is a really important moment for oral health,” said Ralph Fuccillo, president of the DentaQuest Foundation. “State organizations have a critical role in health improvements as advocates and stakeholders.  OHCO and the 19 other Oral Health 2014 grantees enhance the national movement of collaborative leaders who are embracing the challenge and the opportunity to address oral health disparities in their communities.”

“This grant positions OHCO to move forward in the development of a model for serving low-income children over the long run,” said Karen Cody Carlson, OHCO executive director.  “Ultimately, children who currently lack access to oral health care will get education and preventive services at school as well as referrals to community providers for additional services.”

During the planning phase of the Initiative, OHCO will:

• Determine geographic areas that are “hot spots” of high need for school based oral health care by utilizing a mapping process
• Engage partners in a conference to determine a baseline of current programs and initial steps toward establishing effective models of care while encouraging new community partnerships.
• Develop relationships in identified communities, utilizing OHCO stakeholders and other community partners to facilitate engagement.
• Assess models of school-based health care that are currently being utilized.
• Determine strengths and limitations of current direct access dental hygiene practitioners, and assess needed policy or regulation changes.
• Develop high quality, sustainable models of care that can meet the children’s oral health needs of diverse Colorado communities.
• Develop technical assistance programs and “toolkits” to assist communities and school districts in implementing school based oral health care.
• Gain commitment from Colorado health funders to support and participate in the initiative, especially as it enters its implementation stage.

OHCO will submit the model it develops to DentaQuest in July 2012 to be eligible for implementation funding of $150,000 per year for two years.

About Oral Health Colorado
Oral Health Colorado is a statewide oral health coalition consisting of individuals, organizations and community oral health coalitions.  The mission of Oral Health Colorado is “to develop and promote strategies that achieve optimal oral health for all Coloradans.”

For more information, visit http://www.oralhealthcolorado.org/.

About the DentaQuest Foundation
The DentaQuest Foundation (dentaquestfoundation.org) invests in national and community-based efforts to improve oral health for all through its support of prevention and access to oral health care, and through its partnerships with funders, policy makers, and community leaders. The DentaQuest Foundation is supported by DentaQuest, a leading oral health company, administering prevention-focused dental benefits to nearly 15 million individuals across the United States. DentaQuest is a partner in the community and committed to improving oral health through access, innovation and affordability.

Gov. John Hickenlooper joined leadership from Delta Dental of Colorado and Focus Points Family Resource Center to launch the new Delta Dental of Colorado Fund that will provide free dental care to low-income Coloradans across the state.

The new fund will provide up to $3 million in free dental insurance to assist low-income Coloradans of any age in getting the dental care they need. All individuals who qualify for the coverage will receive benefits for two years and will be able to see any Delta Dental network provider in the state. In addition to being eligible based on income guidelines, other qualified populations include children covered by Colorado Health Plans Plus who have met their annual maximum but still need treatment, and Delta Dental customers who need care and cannot afford their copays.

“Colorado is one of the healthiest states in the country, but there is more work to do — particularly when it comes to dental health. Colorado’s children miss almost 8 million hours of school each year due to pain from oral disease, yet cavities are nearly 100 percent preventable,” Hickenlooper said. “Delta Dental of Colorado’s new fund will help our state take a huge step toward eradicating dental disease, which touches our families and communities and impacts our economy.”

Delta Dental of Colorado, which serves over 1 million Coloradans, developed the new fund at the direction of its board of trustees in keeping with its non-profit mission to improve oral health in the communities it serves.

“The dentists who founded Delta Dental of Colorado established the non-profit 53 years ago around the mission of creating better oral health across the state. What better way to do that than to help Coloradans who cannot afford to get the dental care they desperately need,” said Cynthia Evans, chair of the Board of Trustees.

Delta Dental of Colorado launched the Fund by reaching out to member dentists as well as trusted community and health organizations around the state that connect low-income residents with resources and service providers. The Delta Dental of Colorado Fund is unique because it provides assistance to all Coloradans in need regardless of their age. Currently, there is a lack of funding for adults and seniors who need dental care.

“There is no better way to fulfill our mission than to make sure that Coloradans who need the help can find both the resources and quality dental care,” said Kate Paul, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Colorado. “We know from our research that providing two consecutive years of dental insurance makes it much more likely that individuals will be able to move from restorative care to preventative care and take care of their oral health over time. We’ve seen it time and again: Healthy smiles do change lives.”

The fund launch partner is Focus Points Family Resource Center, a Denver-based center that helps connect families in need with various services and educational opportunities.

“Focus Points is thrilled to join Delta Dental and Gov. Hickenlooper in announcing this important new resource for low-income Coloradans,” said Cynthia Gallegos, the center’s executive director. “The families we serve know first-hand how dental disease can affect their entire family and that investing in their health is an important part of investing in their future and their family’s future.”

Individuals who need fund support can find out more by calling 720-489-4713 or visiting http://www.deltadentalco.com.

Posted: 10/11/2011 05:23:19 AM MDT   Updated: 10/11/2011 05:23:19 AM MDT   Author: JScherpie

• BS, Dental Hygiene, University of Colorado School of Dentistry
• Masters in Public Health, University of Northern Colorado

Departmental Affiliations:

• Faculty appointment in Applied Dentistry and Dental Hygiene Departments

Graduate Program Affiliations:

• American Dental Association: National Fluoridation Advisory Committee (1998-present)
• Division of Oral Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: National Oral Health Surveillance System Advisory Group (2006 – present)
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s State Action for Oral Health Access Advisory Committee (2002-2006)

Honors & Awards:

• Association of State and Territorial Dental Director’s Outstanding Achievement Award 2003
• Fellow, Regional Institute for Health and Environmental Leadership 2000.
• Member of American Public Health Association’s Delegation to China, 1998.

Selected Publications:

• O’Connell JM, Brunson D, Anselmo T, Sullivan PW. Costs and savings associated with community water fluoridation programs in Colorado. Prev Chronic Dis [serial online] 2005 Nov. Available from URL: http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2005/nov/05_0082.html.
• Brunson, D. “If Fluoridation Were a Scientific Issue, It Would Be Easy,” Journal of the Colorado Dental Association; Vol. 81, No.1, Winter 2002.

Research Interests:

• Oral Health Epidemiology
• Public Health Practice

Grace earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln in Adult and Continuing Education, and Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and Fine Art respectively, from the Pennsylvania State University. She also earned Certified Biomedical Communicator designation from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Her experience and education enable her to think about complex information in creative ways.

*Qwest Communications, Agilent Technologies, READYColorado, STEPP at CDPHE, the Steps to a Healthier Colorado and COPAN programs at CDPHE, Colorado Connections for Healthy Schools at the Colorado Department of Education, Oral Health Awareness Colorado, Get R!EAL, the Colorado Prevention Center, Caring for Colorado Foundation, Colorado Foundation for Families and Children, The BACCHUS Network, the University of Colorado Health Science Center, the American Lung Association of Colorado, Denver Public Health, Hospital Shared Services, OMNI, Park Hill Thriving Communities, and the Rocky Mountain Center for Health Promotion and Education.

• Only 70 percent of Colorado’s residents who are part of community water systems receive fluoridated water. Fluoridation is one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to prevent cavities. Colorado legislators could have a positive impact on the oral health status of Coloradans by passing legislation requiring communities to provide adequate levels of fluoride in the drinking water.
• Colorado Medicaid only reimburses dental professionals at 51 percent of the 2008 national average of median retail fees. That is more than 9 percent lower than the average Medicaid reimbursement rates for all states. One of the primary reasons that dentists cite for not accepting Medicaid patients is lack of acceptable reimbursement. Currently, only 20% of Colorado dentists accept Medicaid. Increasing reimbursement rates will encourage more dentists to provide care for Medicaid patients. This is particularly important as the state expects significant increases in the number of children eligible for Medicaid coverage under health care reform.
• Colorado has not begun a process to authorize a new type of primary care dental provider. While Alaska and Minnesota are currently the only states to have formally introduced new types of providers (dental therapists or advanced practice dental hygienists), New Mexico recently passed legislation approving a Community Dental Health Coordinator, and many other states are considering the effectiveness of expanding the dental workforce to include such providers. New workforce models may prove very effective in helping to meet the oral health needs of rural and frontier communities, as well as the increasing needs of low-income populations.

Like the rest of the nation, dental disease is the most common disease in Colorado’s children – more common than asthma, despite the fact it is nearly preventable through low cost programs andpolices. The bacteria that cause cavities can be passed from parents to children, but transmission can be reduced or eliminated by teaching parents effective oral health practices. Cavities and gum disease grow progressively worse without treatment, which may lead to adverse health issues such as diabetes and costly treatment options. Children living in poverty suffer two times more untreated tooth decay than their more affluent peers.

According to the report, Colorado met five benchmarks.

1. Slightly more than 46 percent of Colorado’s children who are enrolled in Medicaid visited a dentist last year (6 percent above the national average). Although Colorado met the benchmark, Medicaid children do not see dentists at nearly the same rate as children who are covered by private dental insurance. Colorado will need to increase the percentage of Medicaid children who see a dentist by about 14 percent to achieve parity with their privately insured peers.
2. Colorado is one of 29 states that allow registered dental hygienists to place sealants on teeth prior to having a dentist perform a complete exam. Dental sealants are one of the most effective and inexpensive prevention services that can be offered to children.
3. Medicaid in Colorado reimburses medical providers (physicians, nurse practitioners, physicians assistants) when they provide exams, education and fluoride varnish in their medical offices. Such reimbursement encourages early detection of dental disease, and provides earlier and more effective oral health education for parents and children.
4. Colorado has dental sealant programs in more than 25 percent of at-risk schools, with many schools and school based health centers adding dental screenings and sealants to their traditional medical and dental procedures.
5. Colorado submits its basic dental screening data to the national database that tracks oral health conditions. Timely submission of data allows for effective surveillance of dental disease throughout the country, and provides impetus for the development and dissemination of best practices to combat chronic dental disease.

“Poor oral health affects children living in poverty at twice the rate of their peers; leading to lost school hours and poor academic performance, health problems, and a myriad of costly issues that will have a negative impact on the general health of our residents and ultimately on the state’s economy,” said Karen Cody Carlson, executive director of Oral Health Colorado, the statewide oral health coalition. “The good news is that this is a preventable disease, and we have it in our power to nearly eliminate dental cavities in our children.” The Pew report highlights the effectiveness of low-cost solutions like schoolbased sealant programs, community water fluoridation and less restrictive supervision rules,” she said.

Oral Health Colorado is a statewide oral health coalition consisting of individuals, organizations and community oral health coalitions. The mission of Oral Health Colorado is “to develop and promote strategies that achieve optimal oral health for all Coloradans.”
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For more information, contact Karen Cody Carlson, executive.director@oralhealthcolorado.org; (303)
205-1924.

To view the full “Making Coverage Matter” report, visit www.pewcenteronthestates.org/dental/makingcoveragematter .