All children newly enrolling in an Iowa elementary or high school are required to have a dental screening. This requirement was passed by the 2007 legislature and was effective July 1, 2008. The purpose of the dental screening requirement is to improve the oral health of Iowa's children. Dental screenings help with early detection and treatment of dental disease; reduce the incidence, impact, and cost of dental disease; inform parents and guardians of their children's dental problems; encourage effective oral health practices early in life; promote the importance of oral health for school readiness and learning; and contribute to statewide surveillance of oral health.
Dental screenings will be provided by an integrated network of health care professionals to supplement Iowa's dental workforce. Regional I-Smile™ coordinators, serving at the "hub" of this network, will partner with schools to assist students who need a screening.
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