What does this new law require?

    The law requires that a notice of request for dental health certificates be distributed at the same time that parents or guardians of
    students are notified of health examination requirements. The notice must also state that a list of dentists is available upon
    request at the student's school to which students who need comprehensive dental examinations may be referred for treatment on
    a free or reduced cost basis. Dental health certificates, if obtained, should be made part of the school health record.

What is the definition of comprehensive dental examination as used in Section 903?

    The purpose of the dental examination is to determine a child’s dental health condition. Therefore, it is defined for this purpose
    as an assessment performed by a dentist or a dental hygienist under the general supervision of a dentist (charting caries and
    periodontal conditions as an aid to diagnosis by the dentist) for the purpose of determining whether any painful conditions,
    obvious swelling related to clinical evidence of open cavities, or any other condition that interferes with a student’s ability to
    chew, speak or focus on school activities. Radiographs are not expected to be part of this assessment.

What should your office do when a parent calls opting to provide the school with the "Dental Health Certificate" for their
child?

    If the child is already a patient-of-record and has had an examination within the last 12 months prior to the beginning of the
    school year in which the examination and certificate is requested, the results of that examination can be used to fill out the dental
    health certificate form. There is no need to conduct a separate examination to fill out the dental health certificate form. Your
    office may want to develop a protocol for parents asking if you will complete the form based on the child’s record from the last
    examination.

What should your office do when someone calls requesting the "Dental Health Certificate" for their child's school and this is
the first time the caller has contacted your office?

    As with all new and recall patients, ideally, children should receive a comprehensive examination in your office. It is therefore
    important for your office staff to develop a protocol for when the parents request the need to make an appointment for a school
    "Dental Health Certificate" examination. Many factors figure into a parent's decision to schedule the recommended examination
    appointment, including available insurance coverage and the expectation that an assessment is all the child needs. You should
    clearly explain the fees charged for other investigations like x-rays and treatment, if needed.

    For your convenience, the assessment form, protocols for filling out the assessment form, and other helpful materials will be
    posted on this site as they become available.

If the caller does not want to schedule a comprehensive examination for their child, what’s the next step?

    Parents may refuse an appointment for a number of reasons including the economic burden of follow up treatment, lack of
    insurance coverage, and cooperation of the child. In that case, you may want to consider an initial assessment and counseling as
    a free service to the family. The oral health assessment is not intended to alter your usual office protocol with regard to new or
    recall child examinations and it should not replace the need for comprehensive examination. Parents should be allowed to make a
    fully informed decision.

    If you choose to do a free assessment, rather than a comprehensive examination, be very clear when the appointment is
    established that you will be conducting the assessment, at no charge, as a service. When the adult and child arrive, a consent
    form, very similar to the consent form used at school-based assessments, must be signed (See the sample Dental Health
    Certificate form). This form will make it explicit that the child receiving the assessment does not become a patient-of- record
    and will establish the parameters of the free service you are providing. This is the critical place where the parent becomes
    educated about the condition of their child’s oral health, the consequences if disease is not treated and the benefits of ongoing
    care. This is the place where an “assessment” becomes the opportunity to establish a dental home. All children who leave your
    office after an assessment should leave with a document that informs them of the results of the assessment.

    For your convenience, instructions for filling out the assessment form, and other resources will be posted on this site as they
    become available.

What happens if I declare that a child is not in fit condition of dental health to permit him/her attendance at the public
schools?

    The law does not require that a student be withheld from attending classes. Students will not be denied entrance to school as a
    result of the findings on the dental health certificate. It is hoped that this will encourage parents to make arrangements for
    treatment. You may also want to explore opportunities for providing care in consultation with local dental organizations. More
    information regarding ways to help families will be made available in the near future on the Department of Health webpage.

What if a I get a call from a school to help them for conducting dental health assessments?

    We strongly encourage you to take the opportunity to volunteer to conduct screening sessions in a school.

How do I fill out the sample Dental Health Certificate form?

    The sample Dental Health Certificate form is simply a tool to present the findings about a child’s oral health and communicate it
    to the school. To complete the form consistently with others, please follow these guidelines:

    Section 1.

    Ask the parent or a guardian to fill out this section.

    Section 2.

    I. Dental Health Condition This section is to be completed by the dentist and signed. II. and III of Section 2 are optional. The
    parent must initial to confirm that they consent to the optional information being provided to the school.

    II. Oral Health Status

    Caries Experience [Box #1] records whether this child has ever experienced caries in his or her lifetime. That is measured
    by either signs of inactive disease (fillings) or active disease (visible caries). If either or both are seen, mark this box
    “yes”.

    Untreated Caries [Box #2] records the needs of this individual child. If there is visible caries, mark this box “yes.” To
    standardize the responses to this portion of the assessment, if there is a loss of at least ½ mm of enamel (pencil tip) and
    brown discoloration of the walls of the cavity (either occlusal or smooth surface), respond “yes”.

    Dental Sealant [Box #3] records the presence of a sealant on at least one permanent molar tooth. Respond “yes” for
    presence, else “no”.

    III. Treatment Needs Boxes #1 -4 record treatment urgency, as follows:

    “No obvious problem” is indicated when the child’s oral health is good and in your judgment is only in need of routine
    examination and preventive visits.

    “Will most likely need work at next routine dental check up " is indicated if caries or other changes are present but is not
    likely to cause problems in the near future, or there are other treatment considerations, such as need for sealants.

    “Dental care is needed” is indicated if the child has large cavities or needs orthodontic or other types of special care.

    “Immediate dental care is required” is indicated when signs or symptoms include pain, infection, swelling or soft tissue
    lesions lasting longer than 2 weeks

    It should be noted that this form is not intended to communicate all your findings to the parent. That should be handled in
    the same manner as other dental visits, either through consultation with the adult present at the time of the evaluation, or
    through a form designed specifically for this purpose.

    If this is the first time this child is seeing a dentist, it could also be the last! Don’t let that happen! You and your office staff
    have a unique opportunity to educate the parent on the importance of oral health and begin the process of establishing a dental
    home for this child. As a dental professional, it is important to inform parents of the value of tooth care at home and regular
    dental visits.

What  is a dental health assessment?

    The assessments are very basic, noninvasive, and take just a few minutes. Following the assessment, the dentist will provide the
    family with the requisite health certificate, which will then be turned into the school. A dentist may determine that a child’s oral
    health condition is “not fit,” if a dental condition exists that interferes with a student’s ability to chew, speak or focus on school
    activities, including pain, swelling or infection related to clinical evidence of open cavities.” This does not preclude the student
    from attending school.”

What do I need in order to provide group assessments?

    Assessments are basically visual caries assessments and do not require a dental office setting. The required supplies to be
    provided are vinyl gloves (no latex due to possible allergies), tongue depressors, disposal mirrors, canister of antibacterial wipes
    and antibacterial hand sanitizers. We are asking dentists to provide a battery operated head lamp or flashlight as a light source
    and their own facial masks or shields. This request is based upon the possible lack of power outlets, as well as personal
    preference.

    The facility should provide chairs, tables, clipboard/pens, and extra copies of certificates.

    For now, we are asking that the local dental societies assist by obtaining supplies for assessments which are taking place in their
    components. Component dental societies have a better handle on the amounts needed for group assessments. Dentists that
    provide assessments in their own offices will be responsible for their own supplies. Please keep track of your purchases for
    group assessments; while there is no guarantee, we may be able to obtain funding in the future to offset these costs.

What is a child needs treatment but is unable to afford dental treatment?

    The Foundation is in the process of developing pilot programs which would utilize a network of dental volunteers to treat these
    children. In the meantime, however, the screening dentist should ascertain whether the child is Medicaid of CHIP eligible, by
    referring the family to its local Department of Social Services. DSS may also refer the child to a local Article 28 clinic or
    community health center. Additionally, the family can also contact its district dental society to get a list of potential providers
    and/or charitable organizations which provide free or reduced cost dentistry

How can I get the Dental Health Certificate form?

    The form is available here. You can also contact the local school district.
Questions & Answers about the NYS Children's Dental Health Certificates
The New York State Dental Foundation's public advocacy program for dental health certificates has been made possible by a grant from
The American Dental Association.
Albany, New York 12211
ph: 518-465-0044
fax: 518-465-3219
alt: 800-255-2100
nysdf@nysdental.org
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