Office of Oral Health
Oral Health is an essential component of a healthy life.
Dental decay (cavities) is the single most common chronic disease of childhood, occurring five to eight times as much as asthma. Poor oral health has recently been linked to heart disease, low birth weight and diabetes.
Despite the reduction in cases of decay in recent years, nationally more than half of all children have cavities by the second grade, and by the time students finish high school, about 80 percent have cavities. Unless it is stopped early, dental decay is irreversible.
The good news is that dental disease is mostly preventable, and Vermont ranks high among other states in the number of people who access dental services. This fact is illustrated in the 2002-2003 "Keep Smiling Vermont" Oral Health Survey (pdf).
Some key findings in the survey
- 60 percent of the children surveyed in grades one to three were cavity free.
- 64 percent of eight year old children had sealants on at least one of their permanent molars.
- 85 percent of children in grades one to three required preventative care only.
Programs and Services
- Dr. Dynasaur/Medicaid - Dental Coverage
- School-based Fluoride Mouthrinse Program
- Tooth Tutor Dental Access Program
- Community Water Fluoridation
- Free Water Testing for Fluoride
School-based Fluoride Mouthrinse Program
The goal of the School-based Fluoride Mouthrinse Program is to help reduce tooth decay among Vermont’s school aged children. The School-based Fluoride Mouthrinse Program has been in existence for 30 years, providing free weekly fluoride mouthrinse to children in schools that do not have community water fluoridation.
Each year over 90 percent of eligible Vermont schools participate in the program. Studies show that new tooth decay can be reduced up to 30 percent by rinsing weekly with a topical 0.2 percent solution fluoride mouthrinse.
Fluoride is a mineral that is found naturally in all water sources. There are two types of fluoride, systemic and topical:
- Systemic fluorides are swallowed and benefit the teeth before and after they erupt in the mouth.
- Topical fluorides are applied directly to teeth and expectorated. Topical fluorides benefit teeth that have already erupted into the mouth.
The National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research and the Vermont Department of Health Office of Oral Health recommend the following guidelines for fluoride:
- Children should receive one, but only one, source of systemic fluoride together with multiple sources of topical fluoride for maximum protection against tooth decay.
- Children between 12 months and 16 years of age should receive fluoride supplements if they do not receive adequate fluoride in their drinking water.
- Read more about infant formula and fluoridated water.
For more information about Vermont’s School-based Fluoride Mouthrinse Program, please call 802-863-7341.
Tooth Tutor Dental Access Program
Vermont’s Tooth Tutor Dental Access Program was developed in response to the concerns of school nurses, teachers, dental hygienists and other health care professionals. They recognize that dental disease continues to affect children and impacts the development of speech, expressiveness, nutrition and self-esteem.
The Tooth Tutor Dental Access Program goal is to establish a dental home for each child. A dental home provides preventive, comprehensive and continuous care, as well as a source of oral health guidance.
The program provides a system to identify the children in a school who do not have access to regular dental care, and to help families gain access to dental services in their community. The Tooth Tutor Program also includes a curriculum so all members of the school can benefit from dental health education provided by the Tooth Tutor.
- There are currently 123 schools throughout the state participating in the Tooth Tutor Program.
- Most of the Tooth Tutors are funded through Early Preventative Screening and DT funds but some are funded through grants, scholarships and hospitals.
- The Office of Oral Health maintains a list of dental professionals who have expressed an interest in becoming a Tooth Tutor if a position should open up in their area.
- The dental professional will go through the health history records to determine which children do not have a dental home, as well as children who have not had a dental visit in the last year.
- These children become part of the school’s “target group”.
- The goal of the dental professional at this point is to connect the target group children to local dental homes by helping families address any barriers they may have.
- In 2005, 93 percent of children in Tooth Tutor schools had a dental home by the end of the school year.
Recently all Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Vermont have initiated a Tooth Tutor program.
For more information about Vermont’s Tooth Tutor Dental Access Program, please call 1-802-863-7341.
Free Water Testing for Fluoride
The Department of Helath provides free water testing to detect naturally occurring fluoride levels. Families with children under age four who have a private water source (a well or spring) are eligible for this service. Water test forms can be obtained from your medical or dental provider.
In 2006, 10 percent of the water test results affected the fluoride supplementation schedule for children in a household. It is important for parents to have their water tested before supplements are prescribed.