Document Type
Report
Publication Date
12-2025
Abstract
The North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services Oral Health Program (OHP) implements the SEAL!ND school-based sealant initiative to provide preventive oral health services such as dental sealants, fluoride varnish, and dental screenings in schools across the state. Federal funding guidelines currently require programs to target schools where 50% or more of students participate in the Free or Reduced-Price Lunch (FRPL) program. While this criterion identifies high-need schools, it inadvertently excludes larger schools with substantial absolute numbers of low-income children. This brief examines the potential impact of two policy recommendations.
Recommended Citation
Nishat Sultana and Shawnda Schroeder. "Expanding Access to School-based Oral Health Services in North Dakota: Revisiting SEAL!ND Eligibility Criteria" (2025). Indigenous Health Faculty Publications. 49.
https://commons.und.edu/ih-fac/49