Champlain Valley Head Start

Oral Health

    
Head Start programs work with families to assure that children have a regular dentist, are up-to-date on dental exams, and receive any needed treatment for any identified dental health issues.  Many Head Start programs encounter numerous challenges in this area, including concerns that children or parents may have about dental visits, families who do not always recognize the critical importance of early dental care for children, including baby teeth, and states such as Vermont which have a shortage of dentists.  

To assist Vermont Head Start programs in making strides in this area, in 2010 the Northeast Delta Dental Foundation generously provided $84,000 in grant support for the Vermont Head Start / Early Head Start Tooth Tutor Dental Access Program.  With the Tooth Tutor Program, Vermont’s Head Start programs, including Champlain Valley Head Start, are able to contract with Registered Dental Hygienists (“Tooth Tutors”) who:

    •  promote positive oral health practices for Head Start / Early Head Start children and families;
    • improve access to preventive oral health care for this population;
    • work with the dental community to better meet the needs of program participants; and
    • assure that program participants receive any needed follow up treatment to address oral health issues. 

With generous, ongoing support from Northeast Delta Dental Foundation, the Vermont Head Start / Early Head Start Tooth Tutor Dental Access Program continues to be an overwhelming success, and numerous children have received expedited care for dental exams and, in some cases, for desperately needed oral treatment or surgery.  Please see below for a snapshot of recent progress in this area, and click here to read about one of our tremendous success stories.

 

 

CVHS Oral Health Services – Recent Progress
For 2010-2011, in the area of oral health, CVHS continued its upward trend in assuring that children completed dental exams, and that those children in need of dental treatment received or are receiving dental treatment.
                                             Click the charts to enlarge

 

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