Plan for the Application Year NPM # 13:

1. Percent of women who had a dental visit during pregnancy and
2. Percent of children, ages 1 through 17, who had a preventive dental visit in the past year

The Children’s Oral Health Education program, since the 1980s, has educated the public about the importance of preventive oral health services and good oral health, with programs predominately targeted to school-aged children and pregnant women. With ongoing funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the New Jersey Department of Health will continue to direct the activities of several programs to address two public health priorities: 1) Providing funding for nutrition, education, and counseling at dental visits to Medicaid-eligible or uninsured children ages 5-18, aimed at preventing dental decay through discussion about healthy food choices, and

2) Providing preventive dental services such as the application of sealants and Fluoride varnish to reduce the risk of dental caries and assist families in establishing dental homes.

The Oral Health Services Unit (OHSU) will continue to oversee the deliverables and activities of the Children’s Oral Health Program (COHP), now in its 40th year. During the new fiscal year, our two federally qualified health center (FQHC) grantees with locations in the north, central, and southern parts of the state will continue to receive funding. They will continue to introduce and implement evidence-based interventions to improve oral health for vulnerable residents, primarily focusing on vulnerable children, their mothers, and pregnant women. Through multiple education and preventive activities, such as Oral Health training at schools, “Don’t Get Vaped In,” an anti-tobacco education program, and “Sugar-less Day “activities, our grantees will continue to narrow the oral health disparity gap in New Jersey children. Additionally, COHP will continue “The Project REACH,” an initiative to reduce early childhood caries by educating pregnant women through oral health trainings provided to Obstetricians.

To adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation and establish key oral health baseline data for New Jersey students in 3rd grade, OHSU successfully completed the first Basic Screening Survey in New Jersey during the 2022-2023 school year (December 2022). In the next grant cycle, we aim to expand the Basic Screening Survey activity to children in Head Start and Early Head Start programs.

In 2022, the OHSU was awarded a four-year grant by HRSA. The overarching goal of this new grant, “Caries Prevention: Risk Assessment, Dental Sealants, and Nutrition Education/Counseling,” is threefold: 1- Increase access to lower-cost, preventive oral health to stave off more costly restorative treatment in the subsequent future; 2- Improve overall the oral health of at-risk populations (children and adolescents) through: i) the reduction of dental caries, the #1 chronic disease in children and ii) the reduction of factors causing “medium to high-risk” caries status; and 3- Increase patient/caregiver awareness and understanding of the use of dental sealants and the various nutrition-related (food and beverages) linkages that can be harmful and those that can be complementary to achieving ideal oral health. The OHSU will continue these grant activities during the next MCH grant cycle.

In February 2023, the OHSU submitted an application for a five-year partnership and funding opportunity with the CDC. If awarded, the OHSU seeks to implement an innovative approach using a Demonstration Model Project that focuses on the integration of oral health within and across all ten Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (an evidence-based approach created by CDC) components to ensure healthy outcomes, the highest levels of student academic achievement, and the completion of improvement plans using the CDC School Health Index to alleviate health disparities in school districts with the highest needs including those disproportionately affected by chronic diseases. Additionally, children and their families will be referred to oral health services to establish a dental home.

The State Dental Director, Dr. Darwin Hayes, will continue to provide technical assistance to and serve on multiple committees as a subject matter expert and to advocate for the oral health of all NJ residents. The new State Dental Hygienist, Becky Parnian, will assist the dental director in applying for and implementing new grant activities that advance Maternal and Child Health through improved oral health outcomes.