Oral Health
Jeremy Miller, Interim Executive Director of the Idaho State Dental Association
Please join us in welcoming Jeremy Miller, the interim executive director of the Idaho State Dental Association. Jeremy replaces Pat Morris and will be appointed to the IOHA board in a term-fill position until he stands for election at the end of the year. We thank Pat for his IOHA participation, and we look forward to working with Jeremy. We also thank Kerry Fuller for her IOHA board service that ended in June. Kerry joined the board as a representative of the Community Health Worker profession and joined the Delta Dental of Idaho team earlier this year. We wish Kerry the best in her new role, and we look forward to working with her in the future.
News & Updates
- Grant Opportunity through Dental Trade Alliance Foundation
The DTA Foundation Ignite Innovation Pilot Project grant applications are open until Nov. 30, 2025. To learn more or apply, visit https://form.jotform.com/223404471122140. - IOHA: Fluoride Varnish Training Program Pilot
The IOHA has created an in-person training program to assist medical practices in adopting basic oral health services including assessments and application of fluoride varnish. The training, based on best practices and research by the American Academy of Pediatrics, can be delivered in less than an hour and includes printed and on-line resources, tips for seeking reimbursement and dental referrals, and ongoing support for the six-month pilot phase. If you know a medical clinic in Idaho that would like to participate in this pilot or wants to know more about early childhood caries prevention, connect them with Jennifer Wheeler, IOHA Executive Director, jwheeler@idahooralhealth.org - Baby Teeth Matter Campaign
The IOHA, in partnership with Delta Dental of Idaho, created an informative webpage focused on the importance of baby teeth that gives basic tips on cleaning infant mouths, watching out for bacteria, and providing water in nighttime bottles instead of milk. The page also shares that babies should be seen by a dental professional at the eruption of the first tooth or by age one. Additional resources include how to build healthy habits with the child and signs to watch for that indicate tooth decay. The webpage within the IOHA website can be found at https://www.idahooralhealth.org/baby-teeth-matter/ - Idaho Smile Survey Data Updated in Get Healthy Idaho Dashboard
The Idaho Oral Health Program has released data from the most recent Idaho Smile Survey, a statewide in-mouth study of Idaho 3rd graders. Idaho Smile Survey numbers are available in the Get Healthy Idaho dashboard. Check the Caries/Cavities and Dental Sealant tabs for updated information and trends since 2001. The most important data point to share is that 63% of Idaho 3rd graders have some kind of caries (cavities) experience, and the national benchmark developed for Healthy People 2030 is 42.9%. Click here for the Idaho Oral Health Data. - Idaho LAUNCH Funds Available for Dental Hygiene & Dental Assisting
Clarification has been issued by Idaho LAUNCH that dental hygiene is considered an in-demand occupation and is therefore an eligible program for LAUNCH funding. Students interested in dental hygiene or dental assisting have until April 15 to submit an application. - Delta Dental of Idaho: Rethink Your Drink Bottle Filling Station Grant Program Opens February 3, 2025 and closes March 3, 2025
K-12 schools can apply for a Delta Dental of Idaho-branded Elkay$reg; water bottle filling station to update or replace an outdated drinking water fountain. Each recipient school receives water bottles and dental care kits for all students and staff and will have access to oral health educational material. - 2024 IOHA Annual Report (pdf)
- Delta Dental Funds Water Fountains for Healthier Smiles (pdf)
- Formal response to the NTP Report by the American Fluoridation Society (website)
- IOHA Champion for Oral Health Award Nominations Due October 1 (website)
- DentaQuest Names M. Colleen Stephenson as a 2024 Health Access Hero (website)
- Clinical Report: Oral Health Care for Children and Youth With Developmental Disabilities (website)
- HealthyChildren.org: Oral Health Care for Children With Developmental Disabilities (website)
Links & Resources
- Idaho Oral Health Alliance
We hope you will continue your support of the IOHA by joining us as a member. Annual memberships start every January, but you can join at any time. For more information or to pay your dues, visit https://www.idahooralhealth.org/membership/ - Introducing SDF into Pediatrics: Findings on Considerations for Integration and Collaboration for Patient Referrals - Webinar Slides (pdf)
- Medical Health Portal - Dental & Oral Health Screening (website)
- 2022 IOHA Annual Report (pdf)
- Release of Idaho's First Oral Health Workforce Assessment (pdf)
- Idaho Oral Health Alliance Receives Grants (website)
- CDC Initiative Creates New Water Fluoridation Technology to Support Rural Health Needs (website)
- AAP: Fluoride varnish is billable and implementable (website)
According to Pediatric News, with fluoride varnish treatments now on the Bright Futures periodicity schedule, reimbursement is attainable, and pediatricians can focus on integrating the 45- to 60-second procedure into their practices and strengthening their oral health messaging to families. - Idaho Oral Health Network Update – November 2015 (pdf)
- Healthy Me Update – November 2015 (pdf)
From the Idaho Oral Health Alliance - US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations Ages 0-5 (website)
- Schedule of Screenings & Assessments Recommended at Each Well-child Visit from Infancy through Adolescence (website)
From the American Academy of Pediatrics - Idaho Receives A Grade in PEW Dental Sealant Report (pdf)