Authorizes the application of topical fluoride varnish to a child's teeth by a parent or legal guardian

• Democratic16
• Republican1

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Nathalia Fernandez says this is needed

Applying fluoride varnish to the teeth of young children is proven to reduce dental disease, but too few children in New York are receiving treatments. Fluoride varnish application is a standard of care for pediatric offices and for New York Medicaid. Allowing additional persons to perform this service would bring New York in line with other states and create more access points at which chil- dren and adolescents enrolled in Medicaid can receive this preventive service. Dental disease in children has been called a "hidden epidemic." Hidden because dental disease is not always apparent until the pain becomes unendurable or until it creates an inability to eat, sleep, or concen- trate in school. It is also hidden by poverty. Most children won't expe- rience severe dental disease. Instead, the effects are felt primarily by low-income children because it relates to many of the same social and economic factors that drive other health disparities. In 2021, more than 14% of children in New York reported one or more oral health problems. In 2021, more than 14% of children in New York reported one or more oral health problems. In 2020, only one in every three New York children enrolled in Medicaid (32.8%) received a preventive dental visit (national median 41.5%) which includes fluoride varnish applica- tion. Persistent oral health disparities remain, with children who are Black and Hispanic/Latino and children experiencing poverty most affected by poor-dental health. Fluoride varnish is a topical solution used to prevent tooth decay. Like fluoridated toothpaste, fluoride varnish is used on the surface of teeth and helps prevent cavities by making the tooth hard and helps prevent cavities when they are just starting or barely visible. Fluor- ide varnish is painted onto the front and back, top and bottom of the teeth with a tiny brush where it hardens. as soon as it is touched by saliva in the mouth. It takes less than two minutes to apply and requires no special equipment or extensive training to master the tech- nique. There is high-quality evidence that fluoride varnish is effective in preventing tooth decay in children at moderate to high risk for decay. Studies show that children who receive fluoride varnish every three months have fewer cavities than those who get it less often or not at all. Fluoride varnish should be started early, even in infancy, when the first tooth erupts, because it is most effective when applied before tooth decay develops. New York Medicaid reimburses for up to four appli- cations per child per year: dental providers can bill from birth up to age 21 and medical providers from birth to age 6. Allowing parents to apply the varnish under the direction and super- vision of a licensed practitioner would provide families with much need- ed flexibility, as it reduces common barriers such as travel and time off from school or work.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.