In 2003, because of the positive
relationship enjoyed between the South Carolina Department of Health and
Environmental Control’s (SCDHEC) Region 7 (formerly know as Trident Public
Health District) and the Charleston County School District, the school district
entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with DHEC. The purpose of the MOA was to give SCDHEC the
responsibility of screening providers of dental services and coordinating the
delivery of dental services in the
The intended outcomes of the
policy change were to increase access to dental care for school age children
and to increase the number of children with dental sealants by providing dental
assessments, preventive and restorative treatment and/or referral, follow-up
and case management and oral health education and curriculum assistance.
Policy Initiation
A series of events led to the idea for the policy change:
·
In 1999, DHEC
Region 7 collaborated with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)
·
In 2000 the
Surgeon General, in his report “Oral Health in
gave Americans a wake-up call concerning the oral health
of its people.
·
In 2002 SCDHEC
conducted a statewide Oral Health Needs Assessment with children in grades K
and 3. The survey revealed that about half of the children screened had
experienced decay and only 20.3% of 3rd grade children screened had
at least one permanent molar with a dental sealant. The Healthy People 2010 Objective is
50%.
·
In 2002 two
private providers willing to provide school-based dental services to students
approached the
Public Health Agency Roles
During the grant with MUSC,
SCDHEC Region 7provided a Health Educator to serve as coordinator organizing
the dental van schedule and providing all necessary information to the school
nurse and principal. In view of the success of the sealant program, the school
district requested entering into a Memorandum of Agreement with SC DHEC Region
7 to continue coordination of the school-based dental services.
Major Partners
Major partners included: SC DHEC
Region 7,
Official Support
This effort was supported by the:
·
SCDHEC Region 7 Director
·
Charleston County Schools Superintendent
·
SCDHEC Oral Health Director
Results from the Policy Change
Providers participating in a
state-wide school-based program are providing data to track the impact and outcomes
of the program.
Lessons Learned
Some private dentists are
hesitant to accept Medicaid eligible patients.
Some parents do not recognize the importance of good oral health and
fail to follow-up in seeking restorative dental care for their children. The school nurses are so important in
targeting children with greatest need.
Submitted By
Barbara Grube
Oral Health Educator
SCDHEC/Region 7
843-746-3864
843-746-3814 FAX