3. Outline of Presentation:
•What is the COHI Program?
•Goals of the COHI Program
•COHI Targets groups and why they were
chosen
•What are the COHI services?
•Roles of the dental therapist and Aide
•COHI Funding Work Plan
•COHI Deliverables
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4. The COHI program is a
population based, early oral
intervention program for
First Nations children (living
on reserve) and eligible
Inuit children
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5. What is the Children’s Oral
Health Initiative Program?
A dental program designed
to prevent and control early
childhood tooth decay
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6. Rationale: COHI was
developed to focus on the
understanding that tooth
decay is a transmissible
disease and fully
PREVENTABLE
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7. Goals of COHI Program
Improve oral health for children, and, in
doing so, improve their overall health
Teach parents and caregivers how to
prevent dental diseases for themselves and
their children
Prevent early childhood tooth decay and
avoid the need for unpleasant dental
treatment
Introduce babies and young children to
dentistry that is successful, painless and fun
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8. A Health Canada dental initiative
that began in September 2004
In 2004, COHI was introduced on
a limited basis. There were 5 FN
communities involved during
this first year
COHI officially became a
program in May 2010
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9. SASKATCHEWAN REGION
NUMBER OF FIRST NATION COMMUNITIES: 40
Children
Eligible Population
AANDC Statistics
0 – 7 Years
5,236
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10. FNIHB – Health Canada
COHI – SK Region
Dr. Glenn Schnell, Assistant Regional
Dental Officer
Mary-Lou Sanderson, COHI Coordinator
Eight dental therapists, provide service
delivery to 40 communities
Part-time positions ranging from 13 – 28.5
hours per week
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15. Too many children under the age of 6
require dental surgery under general
anaesthetic (GA)
Some children are receiving more than
one GA to treat dental disease
H e a lt h C a n a d a
F ir s t N a t io n s a n d I n u it H e a lt h B r a n c h
C r e d it : D r . T . K r a w a t
N a t io n a l P r e s e n t a t i o n 2 0 0 2
5
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16. Pregnant women, parents, and
caregivers were chosen because….
Tooth decay is caused by a bacterial
infection
When adults don’t care of their own
mouths, they can transmit the bacteria
which causes tooth decay to children
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21. One on one or small group oral health
sessions
Promotion of xylitol products
Referrals as required
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22. Who provides COHI services?
COHI Dental Therapist – Health
Canada
COHI Aide – Community Member
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23. Role of the COHI Dental Therapist
Provides training, guidance and direction
to the COHI Aide
Completes screenings, sealants, and
temporary fillings (ART)
Provides education & information
regarding oral health
Referrals if necessary
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24. Build capacity in the community by
linking with other programs to reach
target groups
The dental therapist may have to
assume some of the COHI Aide’s
role when necessary
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25. Role of the COHI Aide
Provides the very important link between
the community and the dental therapist
Requires training as provided by Health
Canada
Works with the dental therapist when
preforming dental services (screenings,
ART & Sealant clinics)
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26. Collects authorization forms
• No COHI services can be provided
without a signed authorization
• Child is in the program until no longer
eligible
• Regardless if there is a completed
authorization form a child’s medical
history must be updated each COHI year
• COHI Year – September 1 to August 31
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27. Completes medical history
updates
Application of the all the fluoride
varnishes on the children
Provides oral health information
sessions (one-on-one)
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28. COHI Funding Work Plan
Funding is formula-based, utilizing
population numbers of children aged
birth to 7 years of age
This formula determines the number
of professional days for the dental
therapist and the COHI Aide
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29. Funds for the Aide are transferred via
Health Funding Agreements to the
community
37 COHI Aides - not full-time positions
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30. Reporting Requirements for the HFA
Submission of Dental Services Daily
Records (DSDR) at the end of each month
– COHI Aide
Completion of Community-Based
Reporting Template at the end of fiscal year
- Community
Completion of Financial Reporting on as
outlined in the HFA - Community
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31. COHI Deliverables
There are target objectives that have been
identified across Canada for the COHI
Program:
1.Enrol a minimum of 40% of the eligible
children aged 0-4 and 70% of the eligible
children aged 5-7
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32. 2. Complete dental screening for 90% of
all authorized children aged 0-7
(screening done each year)
3. Complete all required fluoride varnish
applications (2) for 70% of all authorized
children aged 0-7
4. A minimum of 40% of prenatal clients
participating in an oral health
information session
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33. How is success measured?
Partnerships are developed between
COHI staff and the community, i.e.
with nurses, school staff, day care
providers, health centre staff,
community programs….and
especially with the families
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34. COHI needs community support:
A key factor in the success of COHI
is the “community support”….the
dental therapist and the COHI Aide
need the support of the entire
community in delivering the
services and the message!!
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