To improve the oral health of its youngest patients, NYC Health + Hospital adds dental hygiene services to the pediatric practice
Children who start seeing a dental provider at an early age are less likely to develop cavities, tooth decay and other conditions that can lead to more serious health problems later in life.
April 11, 2023
Integrating pediatric and dentistry services provides better access for vulnerable families
NYC Health + Hospitals announced today that it now offers preventive dental hygiene services at 11 public hospital pediatric practices in addition to Gotham Health Belvis and Morrisania neighborhood clinics. Dental hygienists will evaluate, provide oral hygiene education, and apply a dental treatment called fluoride varnish that can help prevent, slow, or stop tooth decay. Hygienists will assist parents in obtaining referrals to NYC Health + Hospitals pediatric dental practices so that their children can receive a comprehensive dental exam and treatment if needed. The new program is part of a larger effort to educate families about the importance of oral health and hygiene. Children who start seeing a dental provider at an early age are less likely to develop cavities, tooth decay and other conditions that can lead to more serious health problems later in life. For an appointment, please call 1-844-NYC-4NYC.
“Child caries, or cavities, are the most common chronic diseases of childhood, and this ‘silent epidemic’ is one that I see every day as a pediatrician caring for my patients in the clinic,” said Shivali Choksi, MD, pediatrician and director of pediatric primary care innovation at NYC Health + Hospitals. “Oral health care is integral to providing high-quality and comprehensive well-child care. Without the former, you can’t have the latter, and that’s why it’s so important to integrate dental care into pediatric primary care. Both pediatricians and embedded dental hygienists are integral to children and their families. is uniquely positioned to provide critical counseling, care and connection to pediatric dentists to promote health and well-being.”
“Establishing good habits with children at an early age, including the primary teeth, sets the right course for good oral health throughout life,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx Chair of Dentistry and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Victor Badner, DMD, MPH.
NYC Health + Hospital is committed to bringing education and preventive dental hygiene services to the pediatric practice for the convenience, convenience and benefit of its youngest patients and families. Babies see their pediatrician nine times in the first two years of well-green and well-baby life. The pediatric and dentistry teams at NYC Health + Hospital see these routine check-ups as an opportunity to educate families about oral health and hygiene. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics Dentistry, children should start seeing a baby dentist when their first tooth appears or after their first birthday.
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About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the nation’s largest municipal health care system serving more than one million New Yorkers annually at more than 70 patient care sites across the city’s five boroughs. A strong network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agencies and MetroPlus Health Plan—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 43,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest lives possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, TwitterInstagram and LinkedIn.