The Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry has launched Project Engage, a $1.75 million initiative designed to improve children's access to oral healthcare.
Start-up funding came from a $1 million United Health Foundation grant and another $750,000 from UnitedHealthcare, the university noted in a press release.
The program will be available to North Philadelphia children younger than age 6 and their families who are enrolled in the state's Medicaid plan. The goal is to eventually expand the initiative to other parts of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the U.S.
Currently, fewer than 30% of the children younger than 6 living in the five ZIP codes (19121, 19122, 19132, 19133, and 19140) surrounding Kornberg's North Philadelphia campus have access to proper dental care, often due to lack of awareness of the importance of oral health and also limited transportation and access to qualified dental care providers. One of the program's goals is to increase that access to at least 60% of the children.
The new program will create an oral health registry that will use dental claims information and operating and emergency department histories to identify children most at risk of developing any health issues as a result of tooth decay.
Community health workers will provide these children and their families, including siblings and pregnant women, with information, counseling, and assistance in scheduling dental appointments. Public health dental hygienists also will be available to provide in-home care and additional treatments, such as fluoride varnishes and sealants.
The program will also provide training for primary care physicians to encourage preventive screenings and apply dental varnish, while also giving general dentists who do not currently provide dental care for very young children the support and information needed to care for children. Studies show that children should begin seeing a dentist before their first birthday.
