Healthy Smiles 2020 – Going the Extra Smile is a clinically based challenge and recognition program developed by the Maine From the First Tooth Initiative.
The Healthy Smiles – 2020 Challenge is in place to engage with practices and health systems to integrate a critical evidence based practice into clinical settings by 2020 in order to improve public health and the quality of children’s health care.
Children in the United States, including Maine, dental care is the most prevalent unmet healthcare need. In 2014, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued a grade B recommendation that primary care clinicians apply fluoride varnish to the primary teeth of all infants and children starting at the age of primary tooth eruption through age 5 years.
Over the last ten years, FTFT has trained 211 practices, and over 1,600 medical staff on the importance of oral health in primary care and fluoride varnish application but the rates of fluoride varnish application still remain close to 25% for young children.
From the First Tooth is teaming up with Maine Quality Counts to provide technical assistance to practices to fast track this recommendation in order to ensure that 60% of Maine children have access to preventive oral health services in primary care by 2020. Dental caries is the single most common chronic childhood disease – five times more common than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever. Fifteen percent of Maine children attending kindergarten in 2010 had untreated dental decay. The need to improve oral health is substantial and your practice can play a key role.
LEARN FROM THE EXPERTS
Watch a webinar to learn all about the Healthy Smiles 2020 Challenge!
ANNUAL METRIC CHALLENGE GOALS
| METRIC | CALENDAR YEAR 2017 |
END OF 2018 |
END OF 2019 |
END OF 2020 |
| Percent of patients ages 6 though 48 months, with teeth, seen in the measurement period with at least one documented fluoride varnish in the measurement period applied in the office or noted in EHR/other record keeping system–as completed outside of the medical home | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% |
Learn more about measuring your data.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Earn a Bronze, Silver, or Gold tooth based on your practice’s progress!
Learn more about awards and recognition.