Pilot program includes Gallia County

COLUMBUS — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, MBA, have detailed plans for a new pilot program aiming to improve the dental health of school-age children in areas of need across Ohio.

Governor DeWine first announced the Ohio Children’s Dental Services Pilot Program during his 2025 State of the State Address last week.

In 2023, nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of school-age kids on Medicaid did not have a single dental visit all year, and among all Ohio children last school year, nearly one in five (19 percent) had at least one untreated cavity. Poor dental health has been shown to negatively impact children in the classroom, causing students to struggle with focus, socialize less, fall behind on their homework, and miss school more often.

“Poor dental health can make it hard for a child to eat, sleep, or even talk – let alone learn,” DeWine said during his address. “It’s clear that many Ohio children have untreated, serious dental problems that follow them into adulthood. We must step up for these children.”

As part of the Governor’s executive budget proposal, the pilot program will start by serving children in the nine Ohio counties that are designated as Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas and that lack “safety net dental clinics” – nonprofit dental facilities that provide care to low-income families.

Counties in the pilot include:

• Clinton County

• Crawford County

• Gallia County

• Highland County

• Hocking County

• Monroe County

• Noble County

• Paulding County

• Washington County

Through the pilot program, ODH will bring together healthcare providers, school districts, and others to deploy dental programs directly to schools — providing screenings, preventative care, and treatment to children who have the most critical need for these services.

“Unlike vision screenings, Ohio does not require dental screenings in schools, and too many of our children are not receiving this essential care,” said Dr. Vanderhoff. “Untreated oral health conditions can lead to more serious health issues and even costly emergency department visits. This program will help improve our children’s health in some of the most underserved areas of the state.”

If approved by the General Assembly, ODH anticipates the pilot program could provide dental services to as many as 12,000 Ohio children in these high-need counties who did not see a dentist in the past year.

“I ask for your support of this program,” DeWine said to members of the Ohio legislature gathered for his recent State of the State Address.