Oral Health Program
Our Mission: Improve the oral health of Montanans through prevention and education.
The Oral Health Program promotes oral health activities designed to encourage good oral health practices and increase awareness of the importance of oral health and preventive care. These activities focus on education to promote oral health and reduce the occurrence of dental disease. The Oral Health Program collaborates with and identifies oral health resources available for local health departments, schools, daycares, tribes, Head Start programs and others concerned with oral health promotion activities.
Oral Health 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. In many communities, the screenings help to strengthen the partnerships between families, schools and dental professionals.
Specific information on dental screenings can be found in the Basic Screening Surveys: Manual and Instructions for Oral Health Screening. The Oral Health Screening Video is a 20 minute training video for those performing the dental screening.
- Dental Providers Available To Healthy Montana Kids Plus (Under Age 19 Years) (Formally Medicaid) and Medicaid Recipients (Ages 19 Through 20)
- Medicaid Dental Fact Sheet: How to Find and Keep a Dentist/Transportation Assistance (pdf document)
- Montana Medicaid Client Information
Federally Funded Health Center Dental Clinics
America's Health Centers are private, not-for-profit, consumer-directed health care corporations which provide high quality, cost-effective and comprehensive primary and preventive care to medically underserved, underinsured and uninsured people. Some health centers have dental clinics which provide dental services on a “sliding fee scale.” A sliding fee is used to calculate the fee uninsured patients are responsible for paying upon receiving services. The fee amount is calculated using patient gross household income and family size.
Donated Dental Services: Montana Dental Association’s Dental Lifeline
Members of the Montana Dental Association (MDA) offer two access-to-care programs designed to provide free dental care to persons who are unable to obtain care. MDA dentists and their staff generously devote their time and skills to these programs for Montana children and adults who might not otherwise have access to quality dental care.
For more information, please visit the Montana Dental Association website at http://www.mtdental.com/dds.htm
- 1st Grade Materials
- 2nd Grade Materials
- 3rd Grade Materials
- 4th Grade Materials
- 5th Grade Materials
- ADA Oral Health Choices for Teens
If you have trouble opening any of these documents please contact us at: vnewhart@mt.gov
Open Wide Training is Available
FREE oral health training for: registered/licensed childcare providers, school nurses, WIC staff, Head Start staff and Local Public Health Offices. Continuing Education Units available through Montana Early Childhood Project.
Read Open Wide Registration Instructions:
Open Wide Registration InstructionsTo register for training:
'Open Wide: Oral Health Training for Health Professionals (Montana Only)'
- complete the registration process (see instructions)
- search by course number which is 1031731
- after completing the course, please return to Train.org to take the assessment in order to receive 2 CEUs (see instructions)
- For additional questions, please call 406-444-4572 or 406-444-0276
Montana Medicaid recognizes a new practice standard to improve access and preventive services for children and to take advantage of children’s early and frequent visits to physicians. Dental and medical communities can share the responsibility for children’s oral health and help decrease the startling rate of caries in low-income children.
Continuing education on fluoride varnish (FV) application for physicians is available and is encouraged to be reviewed at Smiles for Life: A National Oral Health Curriculum http://www.smilesforlifeoralhealth.org/
For additional details, please see FV Medicaid Handout.
For additional information contact:
Veronica Newhart
406-444-0276
vnewhart@mt.gov
