In the Buckeye State, particularly in rural or lower-income regions, not all kids are able to get regular care from a dentist. It’s a generations-old problem, but between 2022 and 2024 CareQuest Institute for Oral Health and Oral Health Ohio tried a pilot program to do something about it.

Through Medical Oral Expanded Care, the project incorporated oral health checks into kids’ annual well child visits with their pediatricians, according to a report by the Statehouse News Bureau.

The pilot involved more than 1,000 children.

Rebekah Mathews, vice president of health transformation with CareQuest Institute for Oral Health told Statehouse News Bureau the services available at pediatricians’ offices were prevention-related, such as fluoride varnishes. And if a doctor noted something concern

See Full Page