Sustainability of School-Based Outreach Programs in South Dakota

Dental caries is a common and preventable disease in school-age children. Regular access to school-based dental care, can help reduce caries in this population. A dental hygiene program located in South Dakota developed an intervention to address the lack of accessible dental care for school-age children residing in rural areas. The purpose of this short report was to describe a recurring outreach program and discuss the criteria needed to promote the sustainability of school-based outreach programs in rural and underserved schools in South Dakota. With the assistance of grant funding, the University of South Dakota Department of Dental Hygiene was able to provide preventative oral health care services in schools that met the following criteria: schools must located be in a rural area in South Dakota within 100 miles of the university; fall within the guidelines of a health or dental provider shortage area; participants must be of school-age with a special emphasis placed on those with no dental home, limited access to care, and who are underinsured. Throughout the duration of the 12-year program 30 schools in southeastern South Dakota have been visited annually by dental hygiene students. Nearly 20% of the participants within these schools were at high risk for dental caries and/or utilized Medicaid/CHIP. The Preventive Dental Program (PDP) has been successful in achieving components of sustainability over time through continued commitment to the program's goals and missions, ongoing collaboration with schools, improving the service models, and increasing the program's capacity in local systems.