Fluoride Varnish Campaign: Ensuring Healthy Smiles For Life
Date: 08/04/17
Well-Ahead Louisiana, with the Office of Public Health, has announced the 2017 Fluoride Varnish Campaign to promote the delivery of fluoride applications to children in our state by pediatric providers. The application of fluoride varnish, which helps to prevent and potentially reverse early tooth decay, is 100 percent reimbursable by Medicaid. Here’s what you need to know about this service:
What is fluoride varnish?
It’s a concentrated, thin material applied directly to the teeth. The American Dental Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend fluoride varnish application at least twice per year for infants and children starting at the age of six months.
Who is eligible for reimbursement for this service?
Providers eligible for reimbursement for this service include physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants. To qualify for reimbursement, these provider types must review the “Smiles for Life Caries Risk Assessment, Fluoride Varnish, and Counseling Module” and successfully pass the post assessment. You can find the post assessment here.
Who can apply the fluoride varnish?
The only disciplines that can apply the fluoride varnish are appropriate dental providers, physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and certified medical assistants. Physicians must maintain documentation in the employee records indicating competency for staff involved in the application of fluoride varnish.
Who is eligible to receive the fluoride varnish application?
Fluoride varnish application is limited to eligible recipients from ages six months through five years. Services are limited to once every six months.
Where can I find more information?
To learn more about the Fluoride Varnish Campaign, including fluoride varnish application reimbursement codes, review the Louisiana Department of Health Informational Bulletin 16-7: Professional Services Fluoride Varnish Program Policy. Well-Ahead Louisiana is also planning a webinar to provide additional information about the campaign and certification processes as well as a “how-to” application demonstration. For more information about the webinar or to register, click here, or email Kaitlyn King at Kaitlyn.King@la.gov. More information about Smiles For Life, a National Oral Health Curriculum, can be found here.