Winter 2021

Snohomish Health District’s quarterly newsletter covering all things oral health, with a focus on the pediatric population. Stay up to date about training opportunities, resources for families, oral health equity, local advocacy, and the Access to Baby & Child Dentistry (ABCD) program.

In this issue...

1. COVID-19 Vaccine Information

2. Update your Information on DentistLink
3. Encouraging Dental Care During the Pandemic
4. Oral Health Curriculum for K-6 Students
5. COVID-19 Testing in Dental Offices
6. ABCD Program Updates
7. Dental Access Coalition Update

News Bite

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

At this time, people who qualify for Phases 1a and 1b1 are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, which includes people who work in dental care settings.
If your patients have questions about when they will be eligible and how to get vaccinated, please direct them to the Snohomish County COVID-19 Vaccination Webpage. They can also call the Snohomish County COVID-19 Call Center at (425) 339-5278.

The CDC has developed a toolkit to help healthcare professionals respond to general questions they may be asked about the COVID-19 vaccine. Click here to access the toolkit, and here for 'Quick Answers for Healthcare Professionals for Common Questions People May Ask about COVID-19 Vaccines.'

Update your Information on DentistLink

DentistLink is a free dental referral service for anyone in Washington State, run by the Arcora Foundation. Patients can call, text, or use the online search tool to find a dentist who fits their needs, whether they have insurance or not. Referral specialists can also connect patients with additional resources to address common barriers to care. More information for providers can be found here.

If you are a dental provider, you can help make DentistLink a robust resource for Snohomish County residents and increase your referrals by updating your office information. To ensure that your practice is listed and to update information, please visit dentistlink.org, click 'Login,' then click 'Sign up' to register. If you have questions or would like to submit updates without creating an account, please email provider@dentistlink.org.

This photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND

Health Message Bite

Encouraging Patients to Seek Dental Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic

A report from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) analyzing insurance usage by children covered by Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in March through May of 2020 noted nearly 70% fewer dental services compared to the same time period in 2019. Similarly, a recent study found that about 50% of adults in the U.S. reported delaying dental care due to COVID-19. Delays in dental care have long-term negative impacts on the health of children, youth, and adults, and can exacerbate existing health inequities.

Those with a stake in oral health are working hard to encourage their patients not to delay care. Below are some resources to support you in your communications with patients:

Sample social media posts from the Snohomish Health District
Delta Dental of Washington Blog Posts Oral Health Is Still Important During a Pandemic and COVID and Dental Office Safety
Article summary Routine dental care may protect against severe COVID-19-related complications

10 Minutes for Teeth Curriculum

10 Minutes for Teeth is a free oral health education curriculum developed by a Washington State dental hygienist. It provides nine 10-minute lessons designed for teachers to complete monthly with K-6 students. It includes lesson plans, activities, handouts, take home materials, and materials for children with special needs.

Help us spread the word about this new resource to convey the importance of oral health to children! Click here to access the curriculum.

Training Bite

Best Practices: COVID-19 Testing in the Dental Office

This free course, provided by the University of Washington School of Dentistry and the Arcora foundation, presents information about currently available COVID-19 tests, their application in dental practices, testing protocols, and compliance issues related to testing. Over the past ten months, several tests for COVID-19 have become available. Some are laboratory based and some are point-of-care tests. They vary in their approved applications and many are used “off-label” for an unapproved purpose. This course will present the limitations of the most popular tests and discuss which tests are preferable for screening asymptomatic patients.

This course was presented live last month. It is now available online, click here for access. 1 CDE available upon completion.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed by CC BY-NC-ND

Health Equity Bite

Preserving Medicaid Dental Programs

It is well established that people of color are disproportionately impacted by policies that exclude dental coverage from Medicaid and Medicare. Ensuring affordable dental care for low-income individuals is a recommended method for addressing unjust oral health inequities. Fortunately, Governor Inslee's proposed budget preserves adult dental care. For more information about the importance of the Washington State adult dental program, check out this recent article published by the Arcora Foundation.

ABCD Program Bite

Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD) Program

Do you or your clients need extra help finding a dentist, or with common barriers such as transportation, language access, or scheduling? There is extra help available through the Access to Baby & Child Dentistry (ABCD) program for children under the age of 6 who are insured by Medicaid. Contact the Snohomish County ABCD Coordinator at dentalinfo@snohd.org or 425-339-5219, or complete the ABCD referral form online.

ABCD Training for Dental Professionals

In addition to providing care coordination for patients, the Access to Baby & Child Dentistry (ABCD) program trains dentists to provide care to children under the age of 6 who are insured by Medicaid. ABCD certified dentists receive enhanced fees through Medicaid for certain procedures and oral health education. ABCD certification requires just a few hours of free, CDE eligible training that is delivered by a volunteer dentist in your area. Following ABCD certification, you can control how many children insured by Medicaid your office sees, and how your practice is listed in 'Find a Provider' tools. Becoming an ABCD provider also links you with long-term support regarding pediatric oral health techniques and Medicaid billing. ABCD Training is now available remotely over Zoom.

To become an ABCD dentist, complete an ABCD refresher training, or if you are already an ABCD dentist and would like to complete Phase II Interim Therapeutic Restoration (ITR) training, contact the Snohomish County ABCD Coordinator, Laura Nay, at lnay@snohd.org or 425-359-0384.

Make a difference for children in Snohomish County by becoming an ABCD provider!

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed by CC BY-SA-NC

Dental Access Coalition Bite

The Dental Access Coalition (DAC) of Snohomish County is a community partnership of oral-health providers and stakeholders with the goal of promoting oral health throughout the lifespan. The mission of the DAC is to:

Improve access to comprehensive, coordinated dental care
Mobilize community resources, agencies, and institutions to action
Advocate for prevention and early intervention

January Meeting

At the January Dental Access Coalition (DAC) meeting, we heard updates from each organization about their oral health work, including how it is being impacted by the pandemic and current funding opportunities. We acknowledged that there is an urgent need to encourage people to seek timely dental care and discussed communication strategies. See 'Health Message Bite' above for related resources.

Future Meetings

The DAC convenes quarterly. The next DAC meeting will be held over Zoom on Friday, March 26th from 9-10:30 am. All who are interested in collaborating with other oral health stakeholders in our community are invited to join. Please contact Laura Nay at lnay@snohd.org if you are interested in learning more about the DAC.