Advancing Oral Health Prevention in Primary Care Affinity Group State Spotlights Webinar Thursday, June 29, 2023, from 3:00 pm ET to 4:00 pm ET The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is pleased to invite all interested individuals, particularly those from state Medicaid and CHIP agencies, health plans, and their quality improvement (QI) partners, to join us as we feature state projects from our Advancing Oral Health Prevention in Primary Care affinity group. Please register at Mathematica WebEx - Register Meeting for the webinar, scheduled for Thursday, June 29, 2023, from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm ET. The CMS Medicaid and CHIP QI program provides state Medicaid and CHIP agencies, and their QI partners, with the information, tools, and expert support they need to improve care and outcomes for Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries. Tooth decay, or dental caries, is a common and preventable chronic disease among children. For children aged 2 to 5 years, about 33% of Mexican American and 28% of non-Hispanic Black children have had cavities in their primary teeth, compared with 18% of non-Hispanic White children. (source: CDC) Children and adolescents from low-income families, including those covered by Medicaid and CHIP, are about twice as likely to have untreated cavities as their higher-income peers. Topically applied fluoride varnish effectively prevents dental caries in children and adolescents. Because young children under 5 are more likely to see a primary care provider (PCP) than a dental provider, PCPs are uniquely positioned to support oral health prevention by offering fluoride varnish as part of primary care visits and connecting beneficiaries to dental care. From February 2021 through March 2023, CMS supported 14 states participating in the Advancing Oral Health Prevention in Primary Care affinity group. This webinar will feature state QI projects from the affinity group, highlighting state strategies, partnerships, and lessons learned. The webinar recording will be posted on the quality improvement initiatives page of Medicaid.gov. We hope you can join us. |
