HealthCheck Training
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Post-Test
Overview
Health Supervision
- Introduction
- Health History
- Physical Examination
- Screening Services
- Laboratory Tests
- Immunizations
- Health Education
Special Health Issues
- Introduction
- Dental Health
- Overweight and Obesity
- HIV Guidelines
- Child Abuse & Neglect
- Language Barriers
- Early Intervention
Documentation
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Special Health Issues
Dental Health
Dental
caries is the most frequently found health problem in children;
it is also one of the most preventable. PCPs are required
to refer children with caries to a dental provider. Prevention,
early detection, and prompt referral for treatment of caries
and other oral health problems is essential.
Dental services are broadly defined to include preventive services, emergency services, and therapeutic services for dental disease which, if left untreated, may cause irreversible damage to the teeth or supporting structures. At a minimum, dental services must include relief of pain and infection, restoration of teeth, and maintenance of dental health. These services may not be limited to emergency room services.
Dental Home
All infants, children, and adolescents need a dental home. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry describes the dental home as “the ongoing relationship between the dentist and the patient, inclusive of all aspects of oral health delivered in a comprehensive, continuously accessible coordinated and family-centered way.”
A dental home should be able to provide:
- Accurate oral health risk assessments.
- Individualized preventive dental health programs.
- Emergency dental trauma management plans.
- Comprehensive oral health care based on accepted guidelines and periodicity schedules.
- Referrals to other dental specialists (endodontists, oral surgeons, orthodontists, and periodontists).
If the infant, child, or adolescent does not have a dental home, PCPs can help families find a source of care by doing the following:
- Provide a referral to a dentist in your community.
- Contact your state or local pediatric dental society for a list of dentists.
- Work with local agencies to determine an infant’s, child’s, or adolescent’s eligibility for public assistance programs such as Medicaid or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program or other source of funding for oral health care, and help families enroll in these programs or obtain such funding.
Periodicity and Guidelines for Dental Inspection/Evaluation
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Dental evaluation follows the HealthCheck Dental Periodicity Schedule (PDF). |
- Oral screening must be part of every well-child physical exam, but should not be seen as a substitute for an exam by a dentist.
- An oral assessment should be done by the primary care physician/pediatrician up to age 3. Every Medicaid-enrolled infant should receive an oral health risk assessment from his/her primary health care provider or qualified health care professional by 6 months of age that includes: (1) assessing the patient’s risk of developing oral disease using the AAPD Caries-risk assessment tool; (2) providing education on infant oral health; and (3) evaluating and optimizing fluoride exposure.
- All Medicaid-enrolled children should be referred to a dentist for the establishment of a dental home within 6 months after the first tooth erupts, or 12 months of age (whichever comes first). Providers should encourage families to take their child to a dentist every 6 months.
- The oral assessment done by the primary care physician/pediatrician should not be in place to a visit to a dentist, and should include the importance of oral care and a referral to a dentist.
For assistance in finding a dentist and scheduling an appointment, caregivers should be encouraged to call the |
