title: Empowering Head Start to improve access to good oral health for children from low income families.
abstract: Surveys over 20 years have documented worsening in the dental health of preschoolers. Healthy People 2010 Midcourse Review reports the country moving away from oral health goals for young children; the slip is 57%. Exacerbating this is the inability of Medicaid to provide for those in need. Most children receive examinations only: few receive comprehensive care. We urge Head Start grantees to adopt a new approach to oral health goals and in this paper offer: (1) a review of the problem and premises preventing a solution; (2) a proposal that Head Start adopt a public health perspective; and (3) specific roles staff and dental personnel can take to mount aggressive strategies to arrest tooth decay at the grantee site.
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, Box 357475, Seattle, WA, 98195-7475, USA. dfrc@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Milgrom
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Weinstein
authors.forename: Colleen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huebner
authors.forename: Janessa
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Graves
authors.forename: Ohnmar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tut
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005190:Family; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D009909:Oral Health; D011203:Poverty