Leveraging to Improve Oral Health Care for Students with Medicaid

Access to an oral health provider for students on Medicaid was a primary concern raised during the focus group OHO held with school nurses.

To address this concern, OHO has created a pilot study to examine the creation of a “Pathway to Care” for students who present with a dental emergency in Toledo Public Schools. If left untreated, dental emergencies in children can quickly turn into a medical emergency. The “Pathway to Care” attempts to bring together systems to work together to provide access and improve care.

This includes:

1. Training school nurses to identify a dental emergency for appropriate referral to a dentist.

2. Establish a referral system whereby school nurses can get students presenting with a dental emergency into a dentist the same day (including clinics and/or private practices).

3. Engage the Medicaid Managed Care Plans in coordination of care and follow-up for students with a dental emergency.

4. Engage parents about the pilot study, how to use their Medicaid Managed Care dental benefits and the importance of oral health and overall health.

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