Oral Health Care for Children and Adolescents with Special Health Care Needs

This report summarizes discussions and takeaways from an expert panel conducted by NOHC of the University of Chicago to discuss challenges related to, opportunities for, and promising approaches to providing equitable oral health care for children with special health care needs (CSHCN). Topics include accessibility and accommodations, health professional training and education, dental insurance coverage policies, supporting families with oral health care guidance at home, innovative models and approaches, and future research needs.

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This brief provides information on expanding access to oral health care in New York. It discusses challenges to accessing oral health care among young children, uninsured children, children living in poverty, non-Hispanic black children, children from non-English-speaking households, and children with special health care needs. It addresses structural inequities that create barriers to achieving good oral health and pregnant women’s difficulties with accessing oral health care, in spite of the fact that they are at high risk for oral health problems. Policy recommendations are included.

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This data brief explores the extent to which children with developmental disabilities receive preventive oral health care and how their use of oral health care compares to that of children without developmental disabilities. The brief provides information to support two conclusions: (1) children with developmental disabilities tend to be less likely to have had a preventive visit with an oral health professional in the past year than children without developmental disabilities and (2) preventive oral health care such as cleanings, X-rays, and fluoride treatment is provided less frequently to children with most types of developmental disabilities than to children without developmental disabilities.

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This report summarizes findings from seven virtual focus groups that NORC at the University of Chicago conducted with parents and caregivers of children with special health care needs. The purpose of the focus groups was to better understand parents’ experiences with caring for their child’s oral health at home and with accessing oral health care for their child. The report presents findings, describes methods, and offers recommendations for the direction for future research.

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This brief, which is part of the What Works Evidence Accelerators series, provides background information and a summary of effective strategies to advance the national performance measures on preventive dental visits for children and for pregnant women. The strategies support increasing the percentages of pregnant women and children who had a dental visit in the past year. The brief includes an overview of the issues; data; and information on oral health outcomes, disparities in outcomes, children and youth with special health care needs, and partnership and the role of Title V.

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This report provides information on a study of oral health professionals conducted to explore factors and policy incentives that influence their decisions on treating people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and on participating in government programs that provide oral health care coverage for this population. Topics includes research questions, input from the population, input from health professionals, demonstrating a return on investment, and promising practices.

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This tip sheet outlines strategies for health professionals in planning, developing, and implementing state and local efforts to ensure access to oral health care for children and adolescents with special health care needs. Topics include working with parents and other caregivers to provide oral hygiene care, work force issues, health care financing, the importance of dental and medical homes, and a review of state and local programs addressing these issues. [Funded in part by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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These presentations are designed for caregivers of people with disabilities or older adults. The goal of the presentations is to increase caregivers’ ability to work with people with a broad range of support needs, as well as to make caregivers feel more confident about doing so. The presentations explain how to help support a daily oral care routine for a family member or client. Translations of original English material are available in Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Tagalog. The presentations are written in simple language.

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This report offers information about the oral health of people with special health care needs (SHCN). It presents background information, including information on considerations for oral health care delivery, promising initiatives, the workforce, sites of care, financing of care, establishing comprehensive care, and data. Strategic calls to action for improving the oral health care of people with SHCN are also included. The report offers guidelines and recommendations, research evidence, and state practice examples illustrating strategies and interventions for people with SHCN. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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This report provides information from a 50-state survey and a set of interviews with select states and family-focused organizations. The purpose of the survey and interviews was to increase understanding of strategies being used by state Medicaid agencies to engage with youth with special health care needs and families of children with special health care needs. The report highlights findings from the survey and interviews, including engagement themes, challenges, and recommendations for state Medicaid agencies, youth with special health care needs and families of children with special health care needs, and funders.

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This resource guide provides information for health professionals to assist them in planning, developing, and implementing efforts to ensure that children and adolescents with special health care needs receive optimal oral health care. The guide describes materials, including brochures, fact sheets, guides, manuals, and reports. It also lists federal agencies, resource centers, and national professional associations that may serve as resources. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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This report describes a study conducted to evaluate the attitudes and willingness of general and specialty dentists to treat people with special health care needs and to identify barriers that dentists face in caring for them. The report presents findings from a literature review and results and conclusions from the study.

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This document provides information about the Oral Health Convening Focusing on Children with Special Health Care Needs held on March 18, 2018, in Washington, DC. The meeting brought together a multidisciplinary group of stakeholders to share expertise and insights related to increasing access to oral health care and improving the oral health of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) in Washington, DC. The document provides information about oral health and CSHCN and includes a description of each session.

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This curriculum provides oral health professionals with information about children with special health care needs and oral health, oral health supervision, prevention of oral disease, and behavior guidance. The curriculum can help fulfill dental education and dental hygiene education program requirements on the management and treatment of patients with special health care needs. The curriculum can be taken for continuing education credit at no charge or for no credit (self-assessment). [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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This series of handouts for pregnant women and parents of infants and young children provides simple tips on nutrition and oral health issues. Topics include brushing a young child’s teeth, choosing healthy drinks, encouraging children to drink water with fluoride, giving children healthy snacks, taking care of oral health for pregnant women, and taking care of an infant’s oral health. The series is written in simple language and is available in English and in Spanish. One handout, Using Silver Diamine Fluoride on Children's Teeth, is also available in Arabic, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Persian, and Somali.

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