In February 2006, the Missouri Preventive Dental Services Program awarded a contract to Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center in conjunction with the Cape Girardeau Oral Health Coalition’s activities. The Community Caring Council’s Oral Health Coalition is one of few local organizations across Missouri addressing oral health care issues. Essential to the implementation and success of the program is the involvement and support of a community-wide coalition to assure program participation and support of schools, childcare facilities, clinicians and health departments.

Dental Hygienist and Coalition Chair Deborah Gerecke was responsible for securing this grant through a contract with Cape County Health Department who then contracted with the Community Caring Council to implement the grant strategies.

The goals of the Program are:

1. To provide a standardized oral health screening for children in the community.
   • Screening results are forwarded to the Oral Health Program for analysis.
2. To provide at the time of screening: oral health educational information and instruction, an electric toothbrush, and application of fluoride varnish.
3. To schedule those children identified as high-risk, for an additional screening, varnish treatment and oral health intervention within a four-month period.
4. To provide a structure to organize community response to the rising need for oral health services for all populations.

A part-time Oral Health Coordinator was hired in October 2006 as an employee of the Community Caring Council. Main responsibilities are to:

1. Contact area schools and pre-schools to schedule screenings
2. Contact area dental providers to conduct screenings
3. Solicit and process parental permission forms
4. Assist with completion of official state reporting forms
5. Follow-up with children identified with high-risk needs/assist with search for available providers
6. Communicate with state office and local providers to facilitate fluoride varnish trainings.

Baseline data will be established during the first year of grant implementation. Increases in the number of children and schools participating in the dental screenings and the varnish applications will be expected during the second and third years of the grant.

Please call (573) 803-8165 to speak with the Oral Health Coordinator.