The Pinellas County Health Department was recently awarded $150,000 from Florida’s Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities: Closing the Gap grant program. Managed jointly by our Dental Health Division and Office of Minority Health, “Teaching Everyone the Elements for Teeth to be Healthy” (TEETH) provides treatment and education to residents of the Front Porch community of St. Petersburg. With its goal of decreasing racial and ethnic disparities in Pinellas County oral health care, TEETH provides screening, sealant and varnish to up to 300 eligible children and oral health care information to diabetics of all ages through June of 2006. The program features an ambitious education component which includes the distribution of a keepsake oral health information placard (and other education /information items) to each household in the six neighborhood Front Porch target area (Over 3,200 households). This grant is the first segment of what is hoped to be a three-year program.

Dental Health |  Minority Health