Part T—Oral Healthcare Prevention Activities

§280k. Oral healthcare prevention education campaign

(a) Establishment of Oral Health Education Campaign

The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and in consultation with professional oral health organizations, shall, subject to the availability of appropriations, establish a 5-year national, public education campaign (referred to in this section as the "campaign") that is focused on oral health education, including prevention of oral disease such as early childhood and other caries, periodontal disease, and oral cancer.

(b) Requirements

In establishing the campaign under subsection (a), the Secretary shall—

(1) ensure that activities are targeted towards specific populations such as children, pregnant women, parents, the elderly, individuals with disabilities, and ethnic and racial minority populations, including Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians (as defined in section 1603(c) ¹ of title 25) in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner; and

(2) utilize science-based strategies to convey oral health prevention messages that include, but are not limited to, community water fluoridation and dental sealants.

(c) Action for dental health program

(1) In general

The Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, may award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible entities to collaborate with State or local public health officials, tribal health officials, oral health professional organizations, and others, as appropriate, to develop and implement initiatives to improve oral health, including activities to prevent dental disease and reduce barriers to the provision of dental services, including—

(A) through community-wide dental disease prevention programs; and

(B) by increasing public awareness and education related to oral health and dental disease prevention.

(2) Eligible entities

To be eligible to receive a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this subsection, an entity shall be—

(A) a dental association;

(B) a State or tribal health department or State or tribal oral health program;

(C) an accredited dental education, dental hygiene, or postdoctoral dental education program; or

(D) a non-profit community-based organization that partners with public and private non-profit entities, such as an academic institution, to facilitate the provision of dental services to underserved populations.

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, §399LL, as added Pub. L. 111–148, title IV, §4102(a), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 550; amended Pub. L. 115–302, §2(a), Dec. 11, 2018, 132 Stat. 4396.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Section 1603(c) of title 25, referred to in subsec. (b)(1), which defines "Indians", was redesignated section 1603(13) of title 25 by Pub. L. 111–148, title X, §10221(a), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 935.

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–302, §2(a)(1), inserted "of Oral Health Education Campaign" after "Establishment" in heading and substituted "focused on oral health education" for "focused on oral healthcare prevention and education" in text.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 115–302, §2(a)(2), substituted "campaign under subsection (a)" for "campaign" in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 115–302, §2(a)(3), added subsec. (c) and struck out former subsec. (c). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: "Not later than 2 years after March 23, 2010, the Secretary shall begin implementing the 5-year campaign. During the 2-year period referred to in the previous sentence, the Secretary shall conduct planning activities with respect to the campaign."

¹ See References in Text note below.

§280k–1. Research-based dental caries disease management

(a) In general

The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall award demonstration grants to eligible entities to demonstrate the effectiveness of research-based dental caries disease management activities.

(b) Eligibility

To be eligible for a grant under this section, an entity shall—

(1) be a community-based provider of dental services (as defined by the Secretary), including a Federally-qualified health center, a clinic of a hospital owned or operated by a State (or by an instrumentality or a unit of government within a State), a State or local department of health, a dental program of the Indian Health Service, an Indian tribe or tribal organization, or an urban Indian organization (as such terms are defined in section 1603 of title 25), a health system provider, a private provider of dental services, medical, dental, public health, nursing, nutrition educational institutions, or national organizations involved in improving children's oral health; and

(2) submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

(c) Use of funds

A grantee shall use amounts received under a grant under this section to demonstrate the effectiveness of research-based dental caries disease management activities.

(d) Use of information

The Secretary shall, as practicable and appropriate, utilize information generated from grantees under this section in planning and implementing the oral health education campaign and action for dental health program under section 280k of this title.

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, §399LL–1, as added Pub. L. 111–148, title IV, §4102(a), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 551; amended Pub. L. 115–302, §2(b), Dec. 11, 2018, 132 Stat. 4397.)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 115–302 substituted "shall, as practicable and appropriate," for "shall" and "oral health education campaign and action for dental health program" for "public education campaign".

§280k–2. Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part, such sums as may be necessary.

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, §399LL–2, as added Pub. L. 111–148, title IV, §4102(a), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 551.)

§280k–3. Updating national oral healthcare surveillance activities

(1) PRAMS

(A) In general

The Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this section as the "Secretary") shall carry out activities to update and improve the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (referred to in this section as "PRAMS") as it relates to oral healthcare.

(B) State reports and mandatory measurements

(i) In general

Not later than 5 years after March 23, 2010, and every 5 years thereafter, a State shall submit to the Secretary a report concerning activities conducted within the State under PRAMS.

(ii) Measurements

The oral healthcare measurements developed by the Secretary for use under PRAMS shall be mandatory with respect to States for purposes of the State reports under clause (i).

(C) Funding

There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this paragraph, such sums as may be necessary.

(2) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

The Secretary shall develop oral healthcare components that shall include tooth-level surveillance for inclusion in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Such components shall be updated by the Secretary at least every 6 years. For purposes of this paragraph, the term "tooth-level surveillance" means a clinical examination where an examiner looks at each dental surface, on each tooth in the mouth and as expanded by the Division of Oral Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

(3) Medical Expenditures Panel Survey

The Secretary shall ensure that the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality includes the verification of dental utilization, expenditure, and coverage findings through conduct of a look-back analysis.

(4) National Oral Health Surveillance System

(A) Appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated, such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014 to increase the participation of States in the National Oral Health Surveillance System from 16 States to all 50 States, territories, and District of Columbia.

(B) Requirements

The Secretary shall ensure that the National Oral Health Surveillance System include the measurement of early childhood caries.

(Pub. L. 111–148, title IV, §4102(d), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 552.)

Editorial Notes

Codification

Section was enacted as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and not as part of the Public Health Service Act which comprises this chapter.