CE/CME
First Dental Home
Welcome to the training on First Dental Home provided by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA).
Credit Hours: 1.00 CE
EnrollTo enroll in this course, please log in or create a new account if you are not already registered.
Completing this course is a prerequisite for applying for certification as a First Dental Home provider.
To be certified to bill Medicaid for First Dental Home services, you must be enrolled as a provider in Texas Medicaid and Texas Health Steps. Enroll online through the Texas Medicaid & Healthcare Partnership Provider Enrollment portal.
You must also complete the following requirements:
- Complete this First Dental Home training and obtain a CE training certificate.
- Submit a First Dental Home Certification Application (fillable PDF) to be certified as a First Dental Home provider.
- Include your individual national provider identifier (NPI) number on the form.
Email the completed application form and CE training certificate to THStepsOEFV.FDH@hhsc.state.tx.us, or fax them to 512-483-3979.
Completion of this training is recommended for all members of a provider’s dental team who will be assisting with First Dental Home services.
Dental providers must be certified only once to provide First Dental Home services, with no requirement to retake the training or submit a new application. However, providers are eligible to receive CE credit for taking this training every 12 months, and the training is updated every three years with policy and clinical changes. Providers and staff members may wish to retake the training to maintain proficiency in providing services.
Goal
The goal of this module is to train general and pediatric dentists enrolled in Texas Health Steps on the requirements of becoming a First Dental Home provider for children ages 6 months through 35 months.
Target Audience
Texas Health Steps providers and other interested health care professionals.
Specific Learning Objectives
After completing the activities of this module, you will be able to:
- Summarize the challenges that young Texans face in accessing oral health care and the importance of the First Dental Home model.
- Specify the required components of initial and subsequent First Dental Home checkups.
- Determine the recommended periodicity of First Dental Home checkups based on use of the caries risk assessment.
Please note this module expires on 8/31/2025.
This module was released on 10/1/2024.
Patients and Families
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for parents and caregivers.
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Mychildrensteeth.org website for families.
- American Academy of Pediatrics. HealthyChildren.org. (2024). Brush, Book, Bed: How to Structure Your Child's Nighttime Routine, a website with resources to help families structure their child’s nighttime routine, including tooth brushing. The website is available in Spanish.
- American Academy of Pediatrics, Campaign for Dental Health. I Like My Teeth (ilikemyteeth.org), a website for health care providers that focuses on fluoridation and other key issues and offers educational resources in English and Spanish.
- American Academy of Pediatrics. HealthyChildren.org. The AAP Parenting Website. Website for families with information about everything related to a child’s oral health. The website is also available in Spanish.
- American Dental Association. (n.d.). Dental health for babies and kids.
- American Dental Association. Find Dental Care for Your Child. Web page that helps families search for dental clinics using their home address.
- CavityFreeKids.org. Sponsored by the Arcora Foundation of Washington state, this website offers a wealth of resources about oral health care for young children and their families.
- Texas Health and Human Services. Brush up on healthy habits.
- Texas Health and Human Services. Texas Department of State Health Services.(2024). Parents: Help Protect Your Child’s Smile.
- US Medicaid.gov. (2023). Tools to Help States Improve the Delivery of Dental and Oral Health Services. Medicaid & CHIP Beneficiaries at a Glance: Oral Health. Infographic.
Featured
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. (2023-2024). Oral Health Policies & Recommendations (The Reference Manual of Pediatric Dentistry).
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (2023). Fluoride Therapy. The Reference Manual of Pediatric Dentistry. Chicago, Ill.: American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry; 2023:352-8.
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (2022). Periodicity of Examination, Preventive Dental Services, Anticipatory Guidance/Counseling, and Oral Treatment for Infants, Children, and Adolescents. The Reference Manual of Pediatric Dentistry 2023-2024. Chicago, Ill.: American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry; 2023:288-300.
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. (2023). Policy on the Dental Home. The Reference Manual of Pediatric Dentistry. Chicago, Ill.: American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry; 2023:35-7.
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. (2020). Policy on Ethical Responsibilities in the Oral Health Care Management of Infants, Children, Adolescents, and Individuals with Special Health Care Needs. The Reference Manual of Pediatric Dentistry. Chicago, Ill.: American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry; 2023:23-4.
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. (2024). Policy on Social Determinants of Children’s Oral Health and Health Disparities. The Reference Manual of Pediatric Dentistry. Chicago, Ill.: American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry; 2023:46-50.
- American Academy of Pediatrics. National Resource Center for Patient/Family-Centered Medical Home. (2022). Medical Home.
- American Dental Association. (2021). Dental Care Utilization Among Children and Adults Dashboard.
- American Dental Association. Health Policy Institute. (2019). Dentist Participation in Medicaid or CHIP.
- Annie E. Casey Foundation. Kids Count Data Center. (2023). Medicaid Enrollment (Birth to Age 18) in Texas.
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit, 3rd Edition. Rockville, MD.. AHRQ Publication No. 23-0075. March 1, 2024.
- Choi S.E., White J., Mertz E., Normand, S.L. (2023). Analysis of Race and Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Factors, and Tooth Decay Among US Children. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Jun 1;6(6):e2318425. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.18425. PMID: 37318807; PMCID: PMC10273024.
- Hill B.J,. Meyer B.D., Baker S.D., et al. (2019). The State of Little Teeth, Second Edition. Chicago, IL: Pediatric Oral Health Research and Policy Center, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.
- Kaiser Family Foundation. State Health Facts. (2024). Dental Care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).
- Laws M.B., Lee Y., Taubin T., Rogers W.H., Wilson I.B.. (2018). Factors associated with patient recall of key information in ambulatory specialty care visits: Results of an innovative methodology. PLoS ONE 13(2): e0191940. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0191940
- Savage M.F., Lee J.Y., Kotch J.B., Vann W.F. Jr. (2004). Early preventive dental visits: effects on subsequent utilization and costs. Pediatrics. Oct;114(4):e418-23. doi: 10.1542/peds.2003-0469-F. PMID: 15466066.
- Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Texas Department of State Health Services. (2019). Texas Supply and Demand Dental Projections, 2018-2030.
- Texas Health and Human Services Commission. (2024). First Dental Home.
- Texas Health and Human Services Commission. (2024). THSteps Catalog.
- Texas Medicaid & Healthcare Partnership. (2024). Provider Enrollment.
- Texas Medicaid & Healthcare Partnership (TMHP). (2024). Texas Medicaid Provider Procedures Manual.
- Texas Oral Health Coalition. (2024). Texas Oral Health Report Card.
- The Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent Health. (2022). 2022 National Survey of Children's Health.
- Vujicic M, Nasseh K, Fosse C. (2021). Dentist Participation in Medicaid: How Should It be Measured? Does It Matter? American Dental Association. Health Policy Institute Research Brief. October.
- Weyant, R. J., Tracy, S. L., Anselmo, T. T., Beltrán-Aguilar, E. D., Donly, K. J., Frese, W. A., Hujoel, P. P., Iafolla, T., Kohn, W., Kumar, J., Levy, S. M., Tinanoff, N., Wright, J. T., Zero, D., Aravamudhan, K., Frantsve-Hawley, J., Meyer, D. M., & American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs Expert Panel on Topical Fluoride Caries Preventive Agents. (2013). Topical fluoride for caries prevention: executive summary of the updated clinical recommendations and supporting systematic review. Journal of the American Dental Association (1939), 144(11), 1279–1291.
Medical Definitions
The medical definitions provided in this module were obtained from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Dental Association, the Texas Department of State Health Services and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Center for Health Statistics.
Continuing Dental Education
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio has approved this course for continuing education from the Office of Continuing Dental Education.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Office of Continuing Dental Education at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is to provide professional growth opportunities and quality continuing education programs as the needs of the profession demand.
Our Philosophy
It is our firm belief that Continuing Dental Education courses should present the newest developments in patient evaluation, treatment, techniques, products, materials, and equipment even though some of them may be controversial. The Dental School does not endorse the content and philosophy of any Continuing Education course but offers various viewpoints to better serve the practicing dental professional.
General Disclosure
One of the requirements of continuing education is disclosure of the following information to the learner:
- Notice of requirements for successful completion of continuing education activity. To receive continuing education credit the learner must successfully complete the following activities:
- Create a Texas Health Steps account.
- Complete on-line registration process.
- Thoroughly read the content of the module.
- Complete the on-line examination.
- Complete the evaluation.
- Commercial Support.
The THSTEPS Web-based Continuing Education Series has received no commercial support. - Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships.
The THSTEPS Continuing Education Planning Committee and the authors of these modules have no relevant financial relationships to disclose. - Non-Endorsement Statement.
Accredited status does not imply endorsement of any commercial products or services by the Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service; Texas Medical Association; or American Nurse Credentialing Center. - Off-Label Use.
Using a disclosure review process, the THSTEPS Continuing Education Planning Committee has examined documents and has concluded that the authors of these modules have not included content that discusses off-label use (use of products for a purpose other than that for which they were approved by the Food and Drug Administration).
The following are policies and definitions of terms related to continuing education disclosure:
The intent of disclosure is to allow Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Continuing Education Service the opportunity to resolve any potential conflicts of interest to assure balance, independence, objectivity and scientific rigor in all of its Continuing Education activities.
All faculty, planners, speakers and authors of Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Continuing Education Service sponsored activities are expected to disclose to the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Continuing Education Service any relevant financial, relationships with any commercial or personal interest that produces health care goods or services concerned with the content of an educational presentation. Faculty, planners, speakers and authors must also disclose where there are any other potentially biasing relationships of a professional or personal nature.
Glossary of Terms
Conflict of Interest: Circumstances create a conflict of interest when an individual has an opportunity to affect Continuing Education content about products or services of a commercial interest with which she/he has a financial relationship or where there are any other potentially biasing relationships of a professional or personal nature.
Commercial Interest: Any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients.
Financial Relationships: Those relationships in which the individual benefits by receiving a salary, royalty, intellectual property rights, consulting fee, honoraria, ownership interest (e.g., stocks, stock options or other ownership interest, excluding diversified mutual funds), or other financial benefit. Financial benefits are usually associated with roles such as employment, management position, independent contractor (including contracted research), consulting, teaching, membership on advisory committees or review panels, board membership, and other activities for which remuneration is received or expected. Relevant financial relationships would include those within the past 12 months of the person involved in the activity and a spouse or partner. Relevant financial relationships of your spouse or partner are those of which you are aware at the time of this disclosure.
Off Label: Using products for a purpose other that that for which it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Texas Health Steps courses are best viewed using a current browser. If you are using an out-of-date browser or a version of Internet Explorer less than 11, lesson progress and interactive features may not function properly.
Health Care Providers
- American Academy of Pediatrics, Campaign for Dental Health. I Like My Teeth (ilikemyteeth.org), a website for health care providers that focuses on fluoridation and other key issues and offers some learning resources in both English and Spanish.
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. (2023). Fluoride Therapy. The Reference Manual of Pediatric Dentistry. Chicago, Ill.: American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry; 2023:352-8.
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. (2023). Policy on the Dental Home.
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. (2022). Policy on the Role of Dental Prophylaxis in Pediatric Dentistry. The Reference Manual of Pediatric Dentistry. Chicago, Ill.: American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry; 2023:94-6.
- American Dental Association. The Code on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature (The CDT Code).
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration. (2024). National Health Service Corps.
- Texas Health and Human Services Commission and Texas Department of State Health Services. (2024). Texas Primary Care Office.
- Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) Program.
- Texas Health and Human Services Commission. (2024). THSteps Catalog.
- Texas Medicaid & Healthcare Partnership. Online Provider Lookup. To find a dental provider: Providers can call Texas Health Steps toll-free at 877-847-8377 (877-THSTEPS) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central Time, or log on to the online provider lookup. Providers can also contact the Medicaid dental managed care organizations (DMOs) to locate Texas Health Steps First Dental Home providers in a specific geographic area.
- Texas Oral Health Coalition. (2024). Texas Oral Health Report Card.
- Texas State Board of Dental Examiners. (2022). Dental Practice Act & TSBDE Rules.
- Texas State Legislature. Texas Occupations Code §258.001.
- Texas State Legislature. Texas Occupations Code §258.002.
- InsureKidsNow.gov. (n.d.). Improving Oral Health.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2030. Oral Conditions.
Patients and Families
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. (2024). Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for parents and caregivers.
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. (2023). Mychildrensteeth.org website for families.
- American Academy of Pediatrics. HealthyChildren.org. (2024). Brush, Book, Bed: How to Structure Your Child's Nighttime Routine, in English and Spanish.
- American Academy of Pediatrics. HealthyChildren.org. (2024). The AAP Parenting Website. Website for families with information about everything related to a child’s oral health in English and Spanish.
- American Dental Association. Dental health for babies and kids.
- American Dental Association. (2020). Find Dental Care for Your Child.
- CavityFreeKids.org. Sponsored by the Arcora Foundation of Washington state, this website offers a wealth of resources about oral health care for young children and their families.
- Texas Health and Human Services. (2022). Brush up on healthy habits brochure in English and Spanish.
- Texas Health and Human Services. Texas Department of State Health Services.(2024). Parents: Help Protect Your Child’s Smile.
- US Medicaid.gov. (2023). Tools to Help States Improve the Delivery of Dental and Oral Health Services. Medicaid & CHIP Beneficiaries at a Glance: Oral Health. Infographic.