Vermont 802 Smiles Network

About the 802 Smiles Network

We bring together students, school nurses and staff, communities and healthcare providers to support access to dental care and achieve the best possible oral health for all Vermont children.

Watch a more detailed video about the 802 Smiles Network

5 Tiers of School-Based Dental Services

The 802 Smiles Network is made up of five tiers that align with the range of dental services offered. The highest Tiers (4 and 5) offer the most services, although organizations in every tier play an important part in helping kids access dental care.

Tier 1 focuses on referring children to a dental provider, plus student dental health education, on-site dental screenings, and preventive fluoride varnish application in some schools.

Tier 2 includes all the services of Tier 1, plus transportation to and from dental appointments.

Tier 3 includes dental referrals, student dental education and screenings, plus fluoride varnish and silver diamine fluoride (SDF) applications.

Tier 4 provides on-site preventive dental health services like cleanings, SDF, and sealants. For more on these preventive treatments, review this comparison document on fluoride varnish, SDF, and sealants.

Tier 5 provides a range of in-school preventive and restorative dental services; it is essentially a dental office in a school.

Download a list of tiers and services. Get a more detailed version of tiers and services.

Dental hygienist showing young child and teddy bear how to brush teeth

Provider & School Enrollment

Dental hygienist talking with school aged girl.

Participating Providers & Schools

Parents & Guardians

Get involved with 802 Smiles

802 Smiles Network Mission: To bring together students, school nurses and staff, communities, and health care providers to support access to care and the best possible oral health for all Vermont children.

802 Smiles Network Vision: All children in Vermont schools will have the best possible oral health.

Members receive startup supplies, training, and technical support to implement school-based dental programs at whatever tier that works for them. Members commit to providing the Vermont Department of Health's Office of Oral Health with data regarding their program.

Are you an educator or school or daycare professional?

Are you a dental health care professional looking to work with the 802 Smiles Network?

Do you want to help promote the 802 Smiles Network?

Download files to add a web badge to your website, email signature or social media accounts

Resources for Participating 802 Smiles Programs

Thanks for being a part of this important initiative. The following resources are what your program will need to start or continue your 802 Smiles program.

Tiers 1 and 2

Parent & Guardian Packet
Consent Form for Tier 1 & 2 Programs: It is mandatory that these forms be filled out by parents or guardians for students to receive care.
Consent Form for Tiers 1 and 2 in العربية (Arabic) \| Bosanski (Bosnian) \| မြန်မာစာ (Burmese) \| 简体字 (Chinese - Simplified) \| دری (Dari) \| English \| Farsi \| Français (French) \| Kirundi (Ikirundi) \| Maay Maay \| नेपाली (Nepali) \| پښتو (Pashto) \| português (Portuguese) \|Soomaali (Somali) \| Español (Spanish)\| Kiswahili (Swahili) \| Telugu (తెలుగు) \| Thai (ภาษาไทย) \| Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
How to fill the 802 Smiles Consent Form: This short video explains each section of the consent form and the steps to complete it.
Template for Letter from the School Principal to Parents/Guardians: This letter welcomes parents and guardians to 802 Smiles while explaining its tiers and benefits. The template can be customized to fit each school’s leadership and services offered.
Comparison Document on Fluoride Varnish, SDF & Sealants (optional): This PDF explains the difference between the various procedures and how they related to the 802 Smiles Network programs.

Guidance Documents
[NEW] Guidance for Tier 1 & 2 Programs
Screening and Calibration Guidelines
Best Practices in Dental Infection Prevention and Control: From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); these guidelines are applicable wherever dental care is provided.

Tiers 3 and 4

Parent & Guardian Packet
Consent Form for Tier 3: It is mandatory that these forms be filled out by parents or guardians for students to receive care.
Consent Form for Tier 3 in العربية (Arabic) \| Bosanski (Bosnian) \| မြန်မာစာ (Burmese) \| 简体字 (Chinese - Simplified) \| دری (Dari) \| English \| Farsi \| Français (French) \| Kirundi (Ikirundi) \| Maay Maay \| नेपाली (Nepali) \| پښتو (Pashto) \| português (Portuguese) \|Soomaali (Somali) \| Español (Spanish)\| Kiswahili (Swahili) \| Telugu (తెలుగు) \| Thai (ภาษาไทย) \| Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
Consent Form for Tier 4: It is mandatory that these forms be filled out by parents or guardians for students to receive care.
Consent Form for (Tier 4) in العربية (Arabic) \| Bosanski (Bosnian) \| မြန်မာစာ (Burmese) \| 简体字 (Chinese - Simplified) \| دری (Dari) \| English \| Farsi \| Français (French) \| Kirundi (Ikirundi) \| Maay Maay \| नेपाली (Nepali) \| پښتو (Pashto) \| português (Portuguese) \|Soomaali (Somali) \| Español (Spanish)\| Kiswahili (Swahili) \| Telugu (తెలుగు) \| Thai (ภาษาไทย) \| Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) Consent Form: Use this form when getting SDF consent from parents or guardians.
Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) Consent Form in العربية (Arabic) \| Bosanski (Bosnian) \| မြန်မာစာ (Burmese) \| 简体字 (Chinese - Simplified) \| دری (Dari) \| English \| Farsi \| Français (French) \| Kirundi (Ikirundi) \| Maay Maay \| नेपाली (Nepali) \| پښتو (Pashto) \| português (Portuguese) \|Soomaali (Somali) \| Español (Spanish)\| Kiswahili (Swahili) \| Telugu (తెలుగు) \| Thai (ภาษาไทย) \| Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
How to fill the 802 Smiles Consent Form: This short video explains each section of the consent form and the steps to complete it.
Template for Letter from the School Principal to Parents/Guardians : This letter welcomes parents and guardians to 802 Smiles while explaining its tiers and benefits. The template can be customized to fit each school’s leadership and services offered.
[NEW] Silver Diamine Fluoride Factsheet: Learn more about SDF (Silver Diamine Fluoride) and when to use it. Document in العربیة (Arabic) \| नेपाली (Nepali) \| Español (Spanish).
Comparison Document on Fluoride Varnish, SDF & Sealants: This PDF explains the difference between the various procedures and how they related to the 802 Smiles Network programs.

Guidance Documents
[NEW] Guidance for Tier 3 & 4 Programs
Screening and Calibration Guidelines
Best Practices in Dental Infection Prevention and Control: From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); these guidelines are applicable wherever dental care is provided.

Tier 5

Tier 5 programs function as full dental offices and, as such, have their own consent forms and additional documentation requirements. You may utilize any relevant resources available on this webpage, such as the template letter from the school principal to guardians, the SDF consent form and fact sheet, among others.

Medicaid billing and insurance information

Dental hygienists in Vermont can enroll as Medicaid providers if they wish to bill independently for the services they provide. View the VT Medicaid Dental Fee Schedule - to see the current reimbursement fees, enter the appropriate Procedure Code (e.g., D1351 for Sealant). See the Dental Supplement for dental procedure codes and additional information.
Webinar: VT Medicaid Application Walkthrough for Independently Billing Dental Hygienists - November 2023
Answers to questions on Medicaid billing or enrollment from qualified representatives.
It is strongly recommended that all 802 Smiles Network dental providers carry professional liability insurance. Medicaid providers are required to carry liability insurance. The American Dental Hygienists’ Association provides information and discounts on professional liability insurance plans for members.

Training and continuing education

Webinar on updated strategies to prevent and arrest dental decay through minimally invasive treatments such as SDF and glass ionomer-based materials.
Dental Sealants in the COVID-19 World, pre-recorded by NNOHA (National Network for Oral Health Access), this video presents the rationale for continuing to place sealants while producing minimal aerosols. Download the accompanying slides here.
CDC's training, Foundations: Building the Safest Dental Visit, is free of charge and offers 3 CE credits.
This Infection Prevention & Control Guide for School Sealant Programs is offered by the Association for Dental Safety (formerly Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention).
Earn free CEs from these courses on Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) and other topics relevant to your work. Offered by Elevate Oral Care.
Check out this Oral Health Services for Children and Adolescents with Special Health Care Needs booklet by the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
Cultural Competency & Sensitivity for Oral Health Professionals training, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, grants 6 CE credits and is free of charge.
802 Smiles 2022 Annual Meeting presentations: the latest on dental caries, 802 Smiles 2021-2022 data, and updates on dental sealants.
Glass Ionomer Sealants Refresher Training - October 2023. NOTE: This training has been approved by the Vermont Board of Dental Examiners for 3 CE credits. To be eligible for credits, you must: (1) watch the recording, (2) take this short survey, and (3) attend a short hands-on training (the survey will provide you with more details).
Infection Prevention and Control Refresher Training - February 2024. It is strongly recommended that dental health care providers familiarize themselves with the latest guidance from the CDC and ADS (formerly OSAP), which can be accessed through the links in the IPC presentation slides.

Funding opportunities for programs and providers

Some Supervisory Districts/Unions fund 802 Smiles programs in their schools; check with your local SD/SU to see if this is a possibility.
The American Dental Hygienists’ Association has several funding opportunities available.
As a Community Champion of the 802 Smiles Network, the Stratton Community Foundation provides funding for hundreds of children in southern Vermont to have access to Tier 4 services.

Laws and regulations

General Supervision Form: A PDF form to print and use. This form is required by the Vermont Board of Dental Examiners for RDHs working in public health settings under General Supervision.
DCF’s Mandated Reporting website: This website includes the required Mandated Reporter Training.
VT Administrative Rules from the Vermont Board of Dental Examiners: Note that these are current as of 2024 but will be updated in the near future.
VT Dentistry-Related Laws and Statutes: Check out laws and statutes related to dental health care providers in Vermont.
HIPAA/FERPA: This joint guidance, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services & the Department of Education, plus the ASTHO fact sheet, contain important information regarding the sharing of information, privacy and more.

Information for Parents and Guardians

Get family-friendly tips to keep your smiles bright at home.

Video about SDF from PBS NewsHour: This 8-minute video from PBS discusses the benefits of using Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) for tooth decay, compared to invasive drilling procedures.

Comparison Document on Fluoride Varnish, SDF & Sealants: This PDF explains the difference between the various procedures and how they relate to the 802 Smiles Network programs.

Maps Showing 802 Smiles Program Locations in Vermont as of Summer 2023

802 Smiles Programs by Town
802 Smiles Programs by Tier (Tiers are based on the level of service provided)

Vermont Program Enrollment in the 802 Smiles Network

Contact Us

A speech bubble with a Chinese character in it and another speech bubble with the letter A in it. This signifies translated information.

Topics:

Last Updated: December 4, 2024

Oral Health