Oral Health
Now Available! Open Wide Oral Health Training
FREE oral health training for registered/licensed childcare providers.
To register for training: Open Wide Registration Form
For more Information: Open Wide Training Information
or send email to: hhsoralhealth@mt.gov
ABCD Access to Baby & Child Dentistry--link to website
Dental Care for Children Handout--printable version
Montana Flouride Information&Resources--printable version
Montana's State Oral Health Plan
The dental health program promotes dental health activities designed to encourage good dental health practices and to help prevent dental cavities, gum disease and oral cancer. These activities focus on education to promote good dental health and risk reduction activities to reduce the occurrence of dental disease.
The promotion of dental sealants and monitoring of the fluoride content in drinking water in the state are examples of disease prevention activities. The organization and administration of the school-based fluoride mouthrinse program and the promotion of school dental screening are examples of additional activities focused toward the child population.
The dental health program identifies dental health resources available for local health departments, daycares and Head Start programs and collaborates with the dental community, public/private schools, local health departments, tribes and others concerned with dental promotion activities.
DENTAL SCREENING
Dental screening is an appraisal activity just as hearing screening and vision screening are appraisal activities. An appraisal is NOT a diagnostic examination and in no way replaces a regular dental examination. Dental screening is a tool to identify emergent dental needs and, like all screening, has other benefits for the student participating in the event. It may help to build a positive attitude on the part of the student toward dental health, it may motivate some parents to schedule dental examinations for their child and the information from the dental screening may suggest areas of the health education program that could be enhanced.
Specific information on dental screening can be found in the brochure, GUIDELINES FOR DENTAL SCREENING. This brochure plus the three part dental screening forms are available free and sample copies are available upon request.
CONSULTATION
The dental health consultant works directly with local health departments, tribal agencies, schools, daycares, Head Start programs, Department bureaus and sections and private organizations in their development and implementation of dental health programs.
Technical assistance is provided regarding new procedures, services and resources for use in population-based dental health programs throughout the State.
SCHOOL-BASED FLUORIDE MOUTHRINSE PROGRAM
