School and Adolescent Oral Health Committee

Committee Members

SAOH Committee Logic Model

SAOH Committee Work Plan

2020 School and Adolescent Oral Health Committee Annual Report

School and Adolescent Oral Health Programs

SAOH's programs promote, protect, and assure the oral health and well-being of school-aged children and adolescents. Through these programs, children and adolescents are encouraged to accept self-responsibility for their oral health, develop life-long healthy behaviors, and receive education, preventive care, treatment and other services.

School and adolescent oral health programs strive to: 

(1) Assess the oral health needs of school-age children and adolescents;

(2) Develop policies to improve the oral health of children and adolescents and their families;

(3) Assure that children and adolescents are getting needed prevention and treatment services.

1. ASTDD White Papers

• Integrating Oral Health Education into Health Education Curricula in Schools (August 2013)
• Promoting Good Nutrition and Healthy Eating in Schools (January 2021)
• School Dental Sealant Programs (November 2017)

2. ASTDD Best Practice Approach Reports

• ASTDD Best Practices Approach Report: Improving Children's Oral Health through the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model (March 2017)
• ASTDD's Best Practices Approach Report: School-Based Dental Sealant Programs (updated November 2017)

3. School-Based Programs During COVID-19 Resources

School-Based Oral Health Programs (SBOHPs) provide a vital service to children who don't always have access to health care outside of school. The COVID-19 pandemic changed how school-based oral health (SBOH) programs deliver dental care for children. In order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and keep children safe, schools went to virtual learning or modified schedules. This significantly impacted SBOH programs and the ability to gain access to children who have the highest need for oral health services and thus, required SBOH programs to reassess how they  reach these children.

In June 2020, ASTDD disseminated a survey, supported by the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, to the oral health program directors in all U.S. states and territories to learn their plans for implementing SBOHPs during the 2020-2021 school year.  In September 2020, ASTDD followed up on the June 2020 survey by interviewing the responding state and territorial dental directors to ask about challenges, lessons learned and resources that programs have developed in response to COVID-19. In March 2021, ASTDD fielded a second survey of the oral health directors in all U.S. states and territories to assess the continued impact of COVID-19 on school-based oral health programs. The following are materials, resources shared by states/territories, and webcasts based on the surveys and interviews.

Summary Report from June 2020 survey and September 2020 interviews

Shared Resources

• Alternate Activities for School-based Programs
• Communications/Messaging
• Consent Forms
• Guidelines for Providing Services
• Letters/E-mails/Contacts
• Teledentistry/Legislation/Advocacy

2020 Research Brief and Infographic

A research brief and infographic based on the first survey and follow up interviews, developed by ASTDD and the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health found that this disruption had major implications for the oral health of children. Some key findings from the report:

• 84% of state/territorial directors said they were spending at least some time on pandemic-related support, including communication materials for executive orders, dental licensing board consultation, dental provider communication, and infection control guidance.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has cited the crucial role of SBOHPs in reducing decay and helping children "stay healthy and ready to learn." The CDC has called these programs "especially important for reaching children from low-income families who are less likely to receive private dental care."
• 35% of directors said that most of their time was devoted to assisting with COVID-19 related activities.

While it's clear the pandemic has posed serious challenges for schools, parents and children, it also presented an opportunity for oral health programs to reassess priorities and develop contingency plans on how to continue providing these services to low-income children if a similar health crisis in the future disrupts SBOHPs. Visit the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health School Dental Programs Still Face Challenges webpage for additional information.

2020 ASTDD/DQP/OSAP Webcast

On Dec 10, 2020 ASTDD, the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health and the Organization for Safety, Asepsis, and Prevention hosted a webcast that explored how COVID-19 has significantly impacted school-based health care programs and the ability to provide access to children who have the greatest need for these services. Expert speakers included:

• Lori Cofano, RDH, BSDH, Dental Public Health Consultant, the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD)
• Vuong K Diep, MPH, Health Science Specialist, Analytics & Evaluation, CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
• Shannon Mills, DDS, Oral Healthcare Consulting Services

Their PowerPoint slides are available here. The website recording is available here: https://youtu.be/-RwyTIyAiSs

2021 ASTDD/CareQuest/National Association of School Nurses Webcast

In May 2021, ASTDD, CareQuest and the National Association of School Nurses hosted a webcast to present information from a second survey of state/territorial oral health programs that assessed the continued impact of COVID-19 on school-based oral health programs.

The PowerPoint slides are available here. The webinar recording is available here.

2021 Research Brief

Challenges in Implementing School-Based Oral Health Programs: Short and Long Term Impacts of COVID-19

This work was supported through a collaboration with the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health.

4. ASTDD School Sealant Program Tools

• This ASTDD developed PowerPoint presentation is designed to train and/or assist dental providers with standardizing the process of selecting teeth for sealant placement. The training includes a didactic presentation to assist with tooth selection criteria using clinical photographs for dental providers. Both the PowerPoint and pretest/post-test presentations are meant to be used for information dissemination and to show clinical examples of sound, cavitated, and non-cavitated lesions on tooth surfaces. (February 2020).
  Dental Sealants Standardization Training Template
  Pre/Post Test Quiz

• ASTDD Basic Screening Survey Tool

ASTDD supports the integration of oral health into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model and has prepared the following resources:

5. Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Oral Health Toolkit

This toolkit contains resources to assist in integrating oral health into the WSCC model. The toolkit is useful for oral health programs, school nurses and other health professionals, teachers and school administrators, community health workers, parents and others who are interested in promoting oral health in the school-setting following a model that addresses the whole child and whose goal is to improve learning and health among school-age children. We value your input and appreciate your feedback on the WSCC Toolkit. Please send comments to cwood@astdd.org.

• WSCC Oral Health Fact Sheet
• WSCC Introductory PowerPoint
• WSCC PowerPoint Notes
• Capacity Building Tool: Recommendations for Integrating Oral Health into the WSCC Model
• Best Practice Report: Improving Children's Oral Health through the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model (March 2017)

6. Other WSCC Resources

• WSCC Overview (CDC)
• WSCC Fact Sheet (CDC)
• WSCC Oral Health Integration and Recommendations
• Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child: Expanding the Evidence Base: The CDC, ASCD, and numerous partners have published ten articles in the November 2015 special supplement of the Journal of School Health, the journal of the American School Health Association. The articles are free to download.

Submit a short 2-page summary of your successful school-based program that uses the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model to be posted and shared online. Submission Form

7. Webinars

• Human Papillomavirus Caused Cancers are Preventable- The ASTDD School and Adolescent Oral Health Committee hosted this webinar presented by Dr. Michael Brown, Regional Medical Director employed by Merck. Screening will not protect your patients from most Human Papillomavirus (HPV) cancers. Cervical cancer is the only type of HPV cancer with a screening test to detect HPV-caused cancer at an early stage. The other five, including oropharyngeal cancer, may not be detected until other symptoms exist. HPV vaccination could prevent more than 90% of cancers caused by HPV from ever developing. Dr. Brown discusses how we can help improve the vaccine rate. Merck Regional Medical Directors may be contacted directly for HPV vaccine presentations. (June 2021)
• Successfully Partnering with Students to Improve School Oral Health - ASTDD School and Adolescent Oral Health Committee brings you  the final webinar of a three part series focused on ways to increase consent for school oral health services. This webinar features Jessica Daniels of Youth Empowerment Solutions! (YES!) and Camilo Menjia of Catalyst Miami. Both organizations promote health equity, social justice and the importance and power of youth led oral health programs and education. The presenters talked about the benefits for actively engaging youth in school oral health programs and some key strategies for engaging and retaining youth in school oral health programs.
• Successfully Working with Schools To Improve Oral Health Consent Returns - ASTDD School and Adolescent Oral Health Committee webinar brings you  the second of a three part series of webinars focused on ways to increase consent for school oral health services. The webinar features Nichole Bobo, director of nursing education, National Association of School Nurses and Kimberly Bartolomucci, program manager, The Oral Health Forum.  The presentation addresses ways to partner with school nurses and school systems in promoting school positive consent for oral health services.
• Tools, Tips, and Strategies to Increase Consents in School Sealant Programs - This webinar hosted by ASTDD School and Adolescent Oral Health Committee featured Mary Pat Burgess, MBA, RDH program director, City of Chicago School-Based Oral Health Program and Matt Crespin, MPH, RDH associate director, Children's Health Alliance of Wisconsin.  These presenters shared their experiences with school sealant programs in Chicago and Wisconsin, their challenges to getting positive parental consents, useful strategies for tackling barriers, and innovative and tested tips and tools used to increase utilization.
  SAOH Consent Presentation 5-15-2019 PowerPoint
  SAOH Consent Presentation 5-15-2019 Crespin PowerPoint
• Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child = Better Oral Health Webinar
  This webinar hosted by Smiles Across America reviews the components of ASTDD's e-toolkit and provides recommendations for incorporating dental health into the CDC's Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) school health model. (September 2015)
• Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child = Better Oral Health
  Members of the ASTDD School and Adolescent Oral Health Committee presented this Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child = Better Oral Health webcast. Schools play a critical role in promoting the health and safety of children between 5 and 17 years of age, helping them to establish lifelong behaviors that promote health and wellness. Schools may also play a role in promoting the integration of oral health with general health and well-being. Research demonstrates a link between general health and dental health outcomes and academic success. For more than 10 years, ASTDD's School and Adolescent Oral Health Committee has promoted the integration of oral health into a comprehensive model of school health. This webinar targeting dental directors, sealant program coordinators and stakeholders, reviewed the components of an e-toolkit and provided recommendations for incorporating dental health into the CDC's Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) school health model. (February 2016)

8. School Oral Health Program Resources

Resources for Oral Health Screenings by School Nurses - During the current pandemic, school nurses may be the only avenue for assuring that children receive dental screenings/referrals. ASTDD and the National Association of School Nurses have collaborated to develop some resources to assist with doing so.

• Considerations for School Nurses in Return to School: Dental Screenings
• School Nurses: The Key to Good Oral Health During COVID-19 Infographic

• The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC) responds to the needs of professionals working in states and communities, with the goal of improving oral health services for pregnant women, infants, children, and adolescents, including those with special health care needs, and their families (the maternal and child health (MCH) population). OHRC serves the MCH population by supporting health professionals, program administrators, educators, and others working in or with MCH programs.
  • Dental Sealants: A Resource Guide (5th ed.) - Dental sealants are highly effective in preventing tooth decay. Sealants protect the chewing surfaces from cavities by covering them with a protective shield that blocks out germs and food. This guide from the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC) at Georgetown University, features materials on policy, practice guidance, professional education and training, public education, and state and local programs to help promote the use of dental sealants. Three entries explore the implications of dental sealant placement during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also includes descriptions of organizations that can provide additional support. (June 2021)
  • Be an Oral Health Champion: How School-Based Clinic Staff Can Help Students Achieve GoodOral Health
    
  • Child and Adolescent Oral Health Issues
  • Comprehensive Oral Health Services for Improving Children's and Adolescents' Oral Health Through School-Based Health Centers
  • Dental Sealants: A Resource Guide
  • Integrating Sustainable Oral Health Services into Primary Care in School-Based Health Centers: A Framework
  • Oral Health and Learning: When Children's Oral Health Suffers, So Does Their Ability to Learn
  • Pain and Suffering Shouldn't Be an Option: School-Based and School Linked Oral Health Services for Children and Adolescents
  • Preventing Tooth Decay and Saving Teeth with Dental Sealants
  • Promoting Oral Health in Schools: A Resource Guide
  • Seal America: The Prevention Invention
  • School Oral Health Services
    
• Oregon's Oral Health Toolkit for School Based Health Centers (SBHCs) This toolkit provides Oregon SBHCs with various kinds of resources aimed at: connecting clients with existing oral health services in their area, integrating oral health services into their SBHCs and schools as well as different types of publications around childhood/young adulthood oral health and oral health services in school settings. It was developed by the Oregon Oral Health Coalition's K-12 Committee, which is committed to increasing in-school access to oral health services, advance education outcomes, increase school attendance and improve the overall health and wellness for Oregon's K-12 population.
• School Oral Health Resource Library. This library from the School-based Health Alliance serves as an access point to resources from reputable oral health organizations and programs. The platform simplifies and streamlines the search and identification of relevant resources for all who are engaged in school oral health at the national, state, and local levels. (January 2018)
• School-Based Health Alliance (SBHA): The School Oral Health Playbook guides individuals and communities to help improve oral health services and outcomes for the school-age population. It provides links to school oral health strategies, champions, models, resources, and programs. The Playbook meets you where you are and assists you on your journey to improve the oral health of school-age children. (2020)
• State Dental Screening Laws for Children: Examining the Trend and Impact (January 2019)
• Survey of School-Based Oral Health Programs Operated by Health Centers - This report from the National Network for Oral Health Access, presents the results of a national online survey of Health Centers that National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA) conducted in June 2013 to obtain information about school-based oral health programs located in school-based health centers (SBHCs) and operated by Health Centers. Survey respondents were dental directors from Health Centers that currently have school-based oral health programs. Sixty-two Health Centers from 29 states that provided school-based oral health programs completed the survey. The paper also presents results from two follow-up focus groups held in August 2013 with dental directors or school-based program managers from 10 Health Centers with large school-based oral health programs. (July 2014)
• The Utah Department of Health Oral Health Program (OHP) launched an Adolescent Oral Health Campaign to educate middle school and high school age students about oral health care with the goal of increasing positive oral health behaviors and increasing the participation and utilization of dental services. (2016-17)

9. Websites

• CDC Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) Adolescent and School Health
• CDC Division of Adolescent and School Health School Health Profiles
• CDC Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System
• National Maternal and Child  Oral Health Resource Center
• National School- Based Health Alliance
• The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids

10. Other Resources

• National Maternal and Child Health Oral Health Resource Center: Nutrition and Oral Health: A Resource Guide The guide includes a great selection of resources meant to assist health professionals and parents in promoting good eating and oral health practices to help prevent oral diseases in pregnant women, children, and adolescents. (2020)
• Watch Your Mouth is a collaborative Oral Cancer Awareness Month Campaign between the Oral Health Office of Alabama Department of Public Health and the University of South Alabama Mitchell Cancer Institute. This PowerPoint goes through the planning and implementation of the campaign. For questions about the campaign contact Tommy Johnson, DMD, Alabama State Dental Director: tommy.johnson@adph.state.al.us