Designing and implementing a school-based dental program for students with developmental disabilities.
Students with developmental disabilities in Atlantic County Special Services School District (ACSSSD) receive on-site dental care through a program created by UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School (NJDS). The program's goal was to coordinate dental school resources with those of a school district, county agencies and the Delta Dental Foundation to provide quality dental services to the students, aged 3-21 years. The University developed a Needs Assessment Survey and distributed 450 surveys to the students' parent/guardian(s). Completed surveys were returned by 131 respondents. Of the 131 children represented, 75 had not been seen by a dentist within the past year. In response to guardian reported access problems, UMDNJ-NJDS and ACSSSD developed a school-based dental care delivery system and a program for health promotion and disease.
York
Jill A
JA
Department of Community Health and Restorative Dentistry, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Dental School, Newark 07101, USA. yorkja@umdnj.edu
Holtzman
Joseph M
JM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019140:Dental Care for Children / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003730:Dental Care for Persons with Disabilities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002658:Developmental Disabilities; D019988:Children with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006295:Health Resources; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012571:School Dentistry / Q000458:organization & administration*