Bills will require students to receive oral health screenings, just like vision and hearing tests, prior to starting kindergarten
LANSING, Mich. (April 20, 2023) — Today, Michigan Senate Majority Floor Leader Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) and Rep. Phil Skaggs (D-East Grand Rapids) introduced legislation to help improve the oral health of all Michigan students, Senate Bill 280 and House Bill 4445. The bills will ensure that healthy children will have more classroom time by making the state’s oral health assessments program permanent and aligning the requirements for dental examinations with the nearly 50 years of successful vision and hearing tests.
“Students can’t focus on learning and educational engagement if they’re in pain,” said Sen. Singh. “Providing this critical health screening for our young people can make a huge difference in academic success.”
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ (MDHHS) pilot program to support oral health assessments went into effect in the 2021-2022 school year. The program is set to expire at the end of this year unless this legislation is enacted.
“The Michigan Oral Health Coalition is very excited about the introduction of this important legislation,” said Ellen Sugrue Hyman, Executive Director of the Michigan Oral Health Coalition. “Fully implementing oral health assessments for kindergarteners will help address the most chronic disease for children, tooth decay, and reduce the number of school days missed due to dental pain and infection. We greatly appreciate the partnership with MDHHS and the legislature in moving this legislation forward.”
Parents are required to submit a form to their student’s school administration if they have received an oral health screening within the past six months of the first day of school. If the result of an oral assessment indicates that a child requires follow-up care, the dentist or dental hygienist will provide information to a parent concerning the availability and sources of dental treatment required to eliminate or reduce an identified problem.
“Too often, children are suffering from an issue that could easily be resolved from a dental exam,” said Rep. Skaggs. “I’m proud to sponsor this bill to ensure that all students are receiving proper oral healthcare.”
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