333-028-0320 Local School Dental Sealant Programs: Certification Requirements To be certified, a Local School Dental Sealant Program (SDSP) must meet all requirements for certification. During a declared state of emergency or public health emergency, the Oregon Health Authority (Authority), Public Health Division, Oral Health Program (Program) may, in writing, waive certification requirements. (1) To apply for certification, a Local SDSP must be an entity outside of the Authority that has the infrastructure to operate a program that provides dental sealants in a school setting. If the Local SDSP applicant is a business entity, then it must be registered with the Oregon Secretary of State. (2) A Local SDSP must have a written policy to coordinate with schools, school districts, or public charter schools to facilitate background checks of Local SDSP staff as required by school policy as described in ORS 326.607. (3) A representative responsible for coordinating and implementing the Local SDSP must attend a one-time certification training provided by the Program prior to applying for certification. If the Local SDSP experiences personnel changes that impact the representative responsible for coordinating and implementing the Local SDSP, then a new representative must attend the one-time certification training before applying for recertification. Any templates or materials provided by the Program during the certification training that are modified or used by the Local SDSP must acknowledge the Program on such templates or materials. (4) A Local SDSP must provide an annual clinical training to all of the Local SDSP’s providers rendering care within their scope of practice in a school setting. This requirement may be met by one of these methods: (a) A Local SDSP develops and implements its own training. (b) A Local SDSP’s clinical providers attend an annual training provided by the Program, which includes application techniques for resin-based and glass ionomer sealants. (5) When multiple Local SDSPs request to serve the same school, the Program will determine which Local SDSP will provide the services. The Program will consult with applicable Local SDSPs, Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs) and schools involved. This collaboration will ensure access and minimize the duplication of services. The consultation will include topics such as, but not limited to: (a) Certification status of each Local SDSP; (b) Staffing capacity of each Local SDSP; (c) Capacity of each Local SDSP to serve additional grade levels or provide more oral health services; (d) Ability of each Local SDSP to provide students with referrals for further dental treatment; and (e) Existing relationships with schools. (6) A Local SDSP must ensure Medicaid encounters for dental sealants are entered into the Medicaid system. The Program shall provide Local SDSPs with a CCO contact list. (7) A Local SDSP shall first provide services at elementary and middle schools where: (a) 40 percent or greater of all students attending the school are eligible to receive assistance under the United States Department of Agriculture’s National School Lunch Program (NSLP); or (b) The school has been approved for the Community Eligibility Program (CEP); or (c) The school is located in a dental care health professional shortage area (HPSA). (8) A Local SDSP must offer, at a minimum, dental sealant services to all students regardless of insurance status or ability to pay as follows: (a) For elementary school, students in first and second grades or second and third grades. (b) For middle school, students in sixth and seventh grades or seventh and eighth grades. (9) Local SDSPs must comply with all applicable federal and state antidiscrimination laws and rules. (10) A Local SDSP must develop and implement a plan to increase parental/guardian permission return rates to receive dental sealant services. (11) A Local SDSP must adhere to these standards for school dental sealant programs: (a) Dental sealant services must be primarily provided on school grounds during normal course instruction hours; (b) A medical history is required on the parent/guardian permission form; (c) Use the four-handed technique to apply sealants in elementary schools. The second provider does not need to be a dental professional. Volunteers and non-dental professionals must receive training and be proficient in infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines, equipment operation, confidentially and security guidelines, all aspects of providing dental sealants in a school setting, and internal policies and procedures; (d) Use the two-handed technique using an Isolite or equivalent Program approved device or the four-handed technique to apply sealants in middle and high schools when providing sealants; (e) Apply resin-based or glass ionomer sealants according to manufacturer guidelines; and (f) Use compressor and suction capabilities at all times except in rare situations as determined by the provider’s professional judgment or as required during a declared state of emergency or public health emergency. (12) A Local SDSP must comply with all scope of practice laws as determined by the Oregon Board of Dentistry. (13) A Local SDSP must comply with Oregon Board of Dentistry oral health screening guidelines for screening and reporting results to parents/guardians. (14) A Local SDSP must comply with IPC guidelines established in OAR 818-012-0040 and by Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Program will provide Local SDSPs with a guidance document. (15) A Local SDSP must comply with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requirements. (16) A Local SDSP must respect classroom time and limit demands on school staff. Services must be delivered efficiently to ensure a student’s time out of the classroom is minimal. (17) A Local SDSP must submit annually to the Program a self-monitoring evaluation plan. The Program will provide Local SDSPs with a self-monitoring guidance document. The self-monitoring evaluation plan must describe how the Local SDSP will: (a) Adhere to current evidence-based clinical guidelines, standards of care, and standards of practice in the provision of school dental sealant services; (b) Identify, analyze, and address client safety and adverse events; (c) Implement the self-monitoring evaluation plan; and (d) Follow-up with any actions identified in subsections (17)(a), (b), and (c). (18) A Local SDSP must submit to the Program, twice per certification year, a Quality Improvement and/or Quality Assurance for SDSPs (QI/QA) assessment that reports progress on implementing the self-monitoring evaluation plan. The Program will provide Local SDSPs with a QI/QA assessment guidance document. (19) A Local SDSP must submit a data report to the Program twice per certification year. The information required to be included in such data report will be defined by the Program. Aggregate-level data will be required for each grade served in a school. The data must be submitted in a format determined by the Program. (20) A Local SDSP must include the certification logo provided by the Program on all parent/guardian permission forms and written communication to schools or provide schools with a letter provided by the Program indicating the Local SDSP is certified. Note: The Program IPC guidance document referenced in section (14), self-monitoring evaluation plan guidance document referenced in section (17), and the QI/QA assessment guidance document referenced in section (18) of this rule will be located at this website: www.healthoregon.org/sealantcert. Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 431A.725 Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 431A.725 History: PH 69-2024, amend filed 07/30/2024, effective 08/01/2024 PH 8-2022, amend filed 01/28/2022, effective 01/28/2022 PH 45-2021, temporary amend filed 09/03/2021, effective 09/03/2021 through 03/01/2022 PH 3-2018, amend filed 01/16/2018, effective 01/16/2018 PH 32-2016, f. & cert. ef. 11-18-16 PH 2-2016, f. & cert. ef. 1-29-16