NEW BRITAIN ORAL HEALTH COLLABORATIVE

Few people link the fact that tooth decay is the most prevalent early childhood disease with poor overall health, increased school absences and reduced social interaction within this age group.  Fortunately, that's changing, through the joint efforts of the New Britain Oral Health Collaborative.

By combining the resources of private dentists, health care agencies, social service organizations and the education community, this coalition is creating programs that are increasing the awareness and understanding of oral health's importance. And its efforts are being supported by the Connecticut Health Foundation (CT Health), which awarded the collaborative a five-year, $541,910 grant in 2002 and an additional $360,000 three-year grant in 2008.

 "This group of people has worked together to design programs to address needs, gaps and barriers, and find solutions," says Project Director Yvette Highsmith-Francis.  Among these solutions are:

• Start Smiling(tm), a campaign educating youngsters, parents, primary care providers and early childhood programs about oral disease, stressing that oral care is just as essential to a child's health as immunization
  
• An in-school program that: uses portable equipment to provide dental hygiene services; refers children needing dental treatment to partner providers; and includes a care coordinator to ensure that the child receives a dental appointment with a participating provider.  This program, initiated in the high school in New Britain, has expanded to all public elementary and middle schools in New Britain and Plainville
  
• Participation in Give Kids a Smile(r) Day, a nationwide effort to increase dental care availability, which included 14 private dentists who have donated free care since 2005
  

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