Promoting Oral Health Access for Pregnant Women

By Christine Farrell, RDH, BSDH, MPA, and Emily Norrix, MPH

Since 1991, Michigan has allowed dental hygienists direct access to patients, and, in 2005, the state initiated the Public Dental Prevention Programs (PA 161), under the administration of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ (MDHHS) Oral Health Program. The Public Dental Prevention Programs aim to improve access to care, address the needs of underserved populations, allow for the practice of dental hygienists in nontraditional settings, and help to grow community-based dental public health programs. The Public Dental Prevention Programs enable dental hygienists to perform preventive dental hygiene services under the remote supervision of a dentist in order to better reach dentally underserved populations. The Public Dental Prevention Programs must apply for reapproval every 2 years. As of June 2019, 52 programs are operating in Michigan. Public Dental Prevention Programs are possible because of the ability of dental hygienists who are associated with a program administered by a public health department, community clinic, federally qualified health center (FQHC), or other nonprofit organization to go into the community to provide oral health education and preventive services to underserved populations.

* References can be found in the original article via the link below.
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