Something to Smile About Dental Program

Garrett County, Maryland is a rural community located in the Appalachian Mountains of Western Maryland. Prior to the initiation of the Garrett County Health Department's (GCHD) "Something to Smile About" dental program, there were many barriers to dental care, including a lack of dentists, reluctance on the part of providers to accept dental insurance, and cultural norms that do not include regular preventive dental care. The primary targets are pregnant women and children eligible for MCHP. The secondary target includes all dentally underserved residents of Garrett County, Maryland. Although dental care for pregnant women and children was a benefit provided through State Children's Health Insurance Program in Maryland (MCHP), many families were unable to access care.

The purpose of the "Something to Smile About" dental program is to improve dental outcomes for children in Garrett County, Maryland.

A total of 49.8 percent of the target population has been reached. GCHD has established a dental clinic in the Garrett County Health Center and a dental surgery center in the local hospital. In addition, the network worked together to advocate for fluoridation of community water supplies. Three municipalities have subsequently voted to fluoridate their water. Oral health education has been increased in the public schools, and dentists in the community network have agreed to charge patients at a rate lower than their normal fee schedule. They also provide health education, limited dental care for adults, and public awareness pro bono. GCHD has assisted local dentists by negotiating higher rates of reimbursement for MCHP patients and assisting with claims, providing continuing education opportunities and taking a lead on local dental association initiatives like promoting Children's Dental Health and Oral Cancer Awareness Months and involving the dentists in the campaign to fluoridate public water systems.

In 2007, Maryland passed the Oral Health Safety Net law which increased the fees for children's dental care in the Maryland Children's Health Insurance Program (MCHIP). Since that local dentists have begun seeing more children in the State medicaid program. The Garrett County Health Department no longer needed to maintain a network of providers. Garrett County now has the highest dental utilization rate in Maryland for both children and adults. The percentage of adult dental utilization for adults during the past 12 months is 42.7% for Garrett County and only 31.4% for Maryland. For children, the dental utilization rate is 82.3% for Garrett County and only 59% for Maryland.