Improving early childhood preventative oral healthcare in communities throughout New Jersey has long been a priority for NJAAP. The Chapter is dedicated to fostering greater medical-dental collaboration, advancing prevention strategies, and creating a solid infrastructure with partners and stake-holders to support the redesign of a system to better meet the oral health needs of all children throughout the state.
Dental caries is the most prevalent chronic condition in childhood, and in New Jersey, more than one-third of third graders have experienced it, nearly twice the national average. Because young children are far more likely to see a pediatrician than a dentist, especially in areas with limited pediatric dental providers, pediatric practices play a critical role in early prevention.