UnitedHealthcare And United Health Foundation Provide $1.75 Million To Temple University To Improve Children’s Dental Care

Temple University’s Kornberg School of Dentistry, with support from UnitedHealthcare and United Health Foundation, today launched Project ENGAGE, an initiative designed to improve children’s oral health and address one of the greatest unmet health needs for young people in Pennsylvania and nationwide.

Project ENGAGE will work with Philadelphia children under 6 and their families who are enrolled in the state’s Medicaid plan, including the UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Pennsylvania. The goal is to expand the initiative to other parts of the state and country.

The new program will improve children’s oral health by creating an oral health registry that will use dental claims information and operating and emergency department histories to identify children most at risk of developing any health issues as a result of tooth decay. Community health workers will provide these children and their families, including siblings and pregnant women, with information, counseling and assistance in scheduling dental appointments. Public health dental hygienists will also be available to provide in-home care and additional treatments, such as fluoride varnishes and sealants.

“Temple University is excited to work with UnitedHealthcare and United Health Foundation to address the challenges and issues related to the oral health care of children in our state,” said Amid Ismail, dean of the Kornberg School of Dentistry. “By creating this oral health registry and the associated intervention programs, we are creating an innovative model that will improve the health and well-being of thousands of children and their families.”

Tooth decay is an infectious disease that ranks as the most common chronic condition during childhood; it is five times more prevalent in children than asthma, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. If left untreated, tooth decay can cause infections and illness, and affect the development of permanent teeth.

Currently, fewer than 30 percent of the children under 6 living in the five zip codes (19121, 19122, 19132, 19133 and 19140) surrounding the Kornberg School of Dentistry’s North Philadelphia campus have access to proper oral health care, often due to lack of awareness of the importance of oral health, limited transportation and access to qualified dental care providers. One of the program’s goals is to increase that access and reach at least 60 percent of the children.

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