Public Health Hygienist Program Credited for Helping Make a Difference
Nebraska third graders have less dental decay experience than the national average, according to the latest Nebraska Oral Health Survey of Young Children.
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services coordinated the 2021-2022 survey, which shows statewide third grade dental decay experience is down from 64% to 58%, which is better than the national average of 60%. The improvement was calculated based on data from the previous state assessment in 2015-2016.
State Dental Health Director, Dr. Charles F. Craft is encouraged by the results. “Since the previous survey in 2015-2016, there has been a substantial decrease in statewide tooth decay rates among third graders, and the dental disease disparity between urban and rural children has been significantly reduced,” Dr. Craft said.
He credits much of the improvement to dental disease prevention teams of public health hygienists and community health workers, who go into childcare centers and elementary schools to provide preventive care such as topical fluoride and dental sealants. “This unique oral workforce averaged more than 100,000 dental services each year from 2017-2019,” Dr. Craft added.
Nebraska Dental Hygienists’ Association President Whitney Crist said the recent survey results highlight the success of community-based dental disease prevention and educational programs, particularly in rural areas. “Public health dental hygienists have demonstrated a significant positive impact in delivering essential oral health services to underserved populations for more than 15 years,” Crist said. “The report findings stress the necessity of broadening these essential evidence-based, cost-effective disease interventions into new statewide locations to advance oral health outcomes for Nebraska’s children.”
“Increasing the representation of public health dental hygienists and their services not only honors their impactful work on the front lines of oral health improvement, but it also signifies a proactive step in decreasing healthcare disparities across Nebraska,” Crist added.
“The momentum these programs have created should be expanded to ensure continued dental health improvement for all our state’s children,” said Dr. Craft.
A key component of the outreach is the Nebraska Early Dental Health Starter Kit Campaign developed by the Nebraska DHHS. The purpose of the hygiene kits is to inform parents of newborns of the importance of proper daily oral hygiene as soon as the baby is born. More than 50,000 kits have been distributed across the state to birthing hospitals, pediatric clinics, dental offices, community health centers, local health departments, Early Head Start programs, WIC programs, home visiting sites, and many other locations.
For information about the Nebraska Early Dental Health Starter Kits, surveillance reports, and other resources that the DHHS Office of Oral Health and Dentistry provides, please visit the Office of Oral Health and Dentistry website at www.dhhs.ne.gov/dental. You can watch the Nebraska Early Dental Starter Kit video at https://www.unmc.edu/dentistry/outreach/starter-kits.html.
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, which is an opportunity to explore the Nebraska Dental Association’s comprehensive Dental Health FAQ on its website at: https://www.nedental.org/for-the-public/faq.
More information about the Nebraska Dental Hygienists’ Association can be found on the association’s website: https://www.nedha.org/.