Tooth Tutor Dental Access Program

The Tooth Tutor Dental Access Program (TTP) was created by the Office of Oral Health (OOH) at the Vermont Department of Health in 1997. The funding for this program comes from the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) program. TTP is a school-based program and serves children in elementary through high schools. School participation is voluntary.

OOH trains dental hygienists as tooth tutors to provide oral health education to children. Dental hygienists screen children for dental home eligibility in participating schools. Children are eligible for a dental home if they have not seen a dentist for more than one year or do not have access to dental care. Children receive comprehensive and regular dental care at the dental home, which is a professional dental office.

The goal of The Tooth Tutor Dental Access Program is to increase access to dental care and to reduce preventable dental diseases among children.

In the 2009-2010 school year, TTP had 134 participating schools throughout the state of Vermont. By the end of the school year, 93% of all children from the participating elementary schools received a dental home. In addition, 74% of children who have not seen a dentist in the past year received dental care. The majority of children who received a dental home were from low socioeconomic status and had a higher number of dental caries than those who were not enrolled in the program. Sealants and regular dental visits were higher among children in the program compared to children outside the program.