Dental Health Services
"Miles of Smiles" | Sealant Program | Fluoride Varnish Program | Oral Health Education | Advocacy
Oral Health Promotion Goals
Goal #1: Increase access to school-based Oral Disease Prevention Programs for dentally at-risk children in Ottawa County.
Goal #2: Reduce Dental Disease for children provided Dental Services on “Miles of Smiles” Mobile Dental Unit.
Goal #3: Provide Ottawa County Elementary Schools and Head Start Centers with oral health education and resources.
Miles of Smiles Mobile Dental Unit
Miles of Smiles mobile unit provides on-site dental services for qualifying low-income, uninsured; Medicaid insured; and MIChild participating children at schools, Head Start Centers, Health Department clinics, migrant camps and sites for dentally underserved children. Miles of Smiles mobile unit design includes a waiting area, laboratory, dual operatories, sound insulated rooms, an x-ray machine and wheel chair lift. The unit is equipped to provide preventative and restorative dental services for children and adults. A volunteer network of over 100 dentists, hygienists and students provide assistance on Miles of Smiles. The initiative is made possible through state grants, local foundations and county support. Miles of Smiles has been awarded several commendations for its innovative approach in addressing a major health problem for qualifying uninsured and Medicaid insured Ottawa County children. Fill out the application below to see if you qualify for Miles of Smiles services.
Miles of Smiles Application (Spanish)
Smile! Michigan School-based Sealant Program
The Ottawa County Health Department (OCHD) Oral Health Program is proud to announce a new program: ‘Smile! Michigan.
Smile! Michigan is a school-based sealant program targeting second and sixth grade children. All services are provided within qualifying schools using portable dental equipment.
This prevention focused program offers: screenings by a dentist or dental hygienist who will determine if the student has teeth that require dental sealants; sealant placement; classroom oral hygiene education; follow-up checks to determine the retention of dental sealants; and referrals for students that require further dental services. A dental sealant is a white liquid that is painted on the grooves of the back teeth (molars) and hardens to prevent or seal out decay. Sealants have been proven to reduce tooth decay by more than 70 percent, resulting in lower dental treatment costs and healthier children.
Ottawa County Health Department was the only county in Michigan to receive grant funding to develop a model program that will be implemented in communities across the state.
Fluoride Varnish Program
Tooth decay is the most common (five times more prevalent than asthma) and preventable chronic disease of childhood. Children as young as 12-18 months can experience early childhood caries (tooth decay). The Fluoride Varnish Program services Early Head Start and Head Start children, ages 0-4, in Ottawa County. The program provides dental screenings and fluoride varnish to these children.
Fluoride varnish is a protective coating that is painted on teeth to help prevent new cavities and to help stop cavities that have already started. The “paint on” fluoride varnish is sticky, so it adheres to the teeth easily and makes the outer layer (enamel) of the teeth more resistant to decay. The American Dental Association (ADA) considers fluoride varnish to be a safe and effective as part of a caries prevention program.
The collection of dental health information through the dental screenings is used to determine the decay prevalence of Early Head Start and Head Start children and assist the Michigan Department of Community Health to promote future dental health programs. The program also includes: Caries-risk assessment; oral health education for staff, parents and children; and identification of a dental home.
Oral Health Education
This program has been designed to educate school children grades K, 1st, and 3rd about the importance of proper oral health habits and provide programming that will motivate them to practice these habits throughout their lifetime. Program materials include: teacher guides, activity sheets, a video, oral health kits with toothbrush and paste, brushing charts, stickers, leaflets, and posters. This program will help children become aware that with proper personal and professional care, their teeth can last a lifetime.
Advocacy
The Oral Health Promotion Program's legislative involvement has assisted in securing continued funding for Ottawa County dental programs. Statewide involvement in legislative efforts has successfully impacted legislation resulting in an expansion of dental services to at-risk, underserved populations. The Oral Health Promotion Program also assisted in the creation of the Michigan Oral Health Coalition and participated in the development of the "Strategic Plan for Oral Health in Michigan”. The Oral Health Promotion Program staff also holds leadership positions with in the Michigan Public Health Association.
