The New York University (NYU) College of Dentistry has received a $1 million award to bring its cavity prevention program, CariedAway, which includes oral health screenings and treatment, to three New Hampshire school districts.
CariedAway aims to improve children’s quality of life and attendance at school. The program prevents up to 80% of cavities and keeps 50% of existing cavities from worsening, according to a press release from the university.
Mary Davis, CariedAway NH Concord’s clinical program director, will lead the school-based care. Image and caption courtesy of NYU.
Students in the program will undergo oral health screenings, cavity prevention, and treatment twice a year. Preventive measures include silver diamine fluoride, along with both traditional and cavity sealants. Additionally, children are referred to local dentists for ongoing, necessary dental care or specialized treatments.
In New Hampshire, 1 in 20 children entering kindergarten has untreated cavities. Similarly, 1 in 4 students leave high school with dental decay, according to NYU Dentistry.
“With New Hampshire’s pent-up demand for adult dental care overwhelming dentists, CariedAway sets children on a healthy path for their future,” Dr. Richard Niederman, professor at NYU Dentistry and founder of CariedAway, said in the press release.
The three-year grant was awarded by Northeast Delta Dental to launch the CariedAway program in the Concord, Pittsfield, and the Merrimack Valley school districts of New Hampshire. The program will use point-of-care technology created by Massachusetts-based New England Survey Systems to design treatment plans.
