To the Editor,

Since February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, it’s a good time to remember that establishing good oral and dental hygiene habits early is critical to a child’s overall health and well-being. In North Carolina, we have a nationally recognized program dedicated to helping our youngest residents receive quality dental care.

“Into the Mouths of Babes,” or IMB, is a successful program that trains medical professionals to provide oral care as part of well-child visits when the first tooth emerges. IMB provides tools to make sure children are getting proper dental hygiene before problems start: That means providing fluoride varnishes, making dental referrals, and providing oral health information to caregivers.

Since North Carolina Medicaid implemented the program in the early 2000s, childhood dental cavity rates in our state have declined swiftly. On average, children receiving the service before age 3 show an 18 percent reduction in tooth decay, and a 21 percent reduction in hospitalizations for dental treatment.

As a result of this collaboration between Medicaid, policy makers, the primary care community, and the dental community, North Carolina now ranks third best nationally in the percentage of Medicaid-enrolled children under age 5 that receive oral preventive care.

Bob Plage, DDS

Wilmington, past president, NC Dental Society

Michelle Jones, MD, FAAFP

Hampstead, past president, NC Academy of Family Physicians

Katie Lowry, MD, MPH, FAAP

Lumberton, Pediatric Society Board of Directors