NEWS RELEASE
			The mission statement of the Head Start Caries Prevention Program seeks to aid in meeting National health objectives for 2010, be decreasing the substantial disparities in the level of preventative dental care obtained by impoverished minority children, compared with other children in Pinellas County. The goal of the Head Start Caries Prevention Program is to reduce the frequency of dental caries in underserved, high-risk popluations by implementing a flouride varnish program for Pinellas County Head Start and Early Start Children. Currently there are serious barriers to dental care in publicly provided insurance programs. Ensuring dental care for Head Start children is notoriously difficult because of Medicade's low payment to dentists and low number of participating dentists. Federal studies report that poor preschoolers suffer more than twice the tooth decay and twice the dental pain as their affluent peers, but are only half as likely to visit a dentist. Healthy people 2010 reports that one-in-five (18%) two-to-four year olds have visible cavities and that past efforts to reduce this disease burden have failed.
		Head Start Caries Intervention Program Manual
	Mission Statement: Aid in meeting the national health objectives for 2010, by decreasing the substantial disparities in the level of preventative dental care obtained by poor and minority children, compared with other children in Pinellas County. Goal:  Our goal is to reduce the prevalence of dental caries in underserved, high risk populations by implementing a fluoride varnish program for Pinellas County Head Start and Early Head Start children. Problem Statement: "Ensuring dental care for Head Start children is notoriously difficult because of Medicade's low payment to dentists and low numbers of participating dentists. Federal studies report that preschoolers suffer more than twice the tooth decay and twice the dental pain as their affluent peers, but are only half as likely to visit a dentist. Healthy People 2010 reports that one-in-five (18%) two-to-four year olds have visible cavities and that past efforts to reduce this disease burden have failed". (Children's Dental Health Project July 2003). Solution: Decrease the need for restorative dental treatment through a caries prevention program. Proposal: Application of fluoride varnish (Cavity Shield) two times a year for Pinellas County Head Start and Early Start Children. Fluoride varnish will be applied by volunteer licensed dental hygienists on-site at the Head Start and Early Start Centers. Intermediate Goal: Yearly expansion of the Head Start Caries Program: adding a new county or counties.