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Bridging the Gaps: Three Common-Sense Solutions to Expand Oral Health Access in New York 

Bridging the Gaps: Three Common-Sense Solutions to Expand Oral Health Access in New York 

by | May 27, 2025 | News, Oral Health

 
By Bridget Walsh, Senior Policy Analyst, Co-Authored by Community Health Care Association of New York State

June 6th, 2025 Update

Tooth decay remains the most common chronic childhood disease, despite being almost entirely preventable.

New York’s leaders have the opportunity right now to make meaningful change before they head home for the summer. Two bills have passed in the Senate but are pending in the Assembly. Both offer smart, proven, and cost-effective solutions to expand access to preventive dental care.

Let Parents Prevent Cavities at Home S.6759 (Fernandez) / A.8145 (Peoples-Stokes) – Fluoride varnish is a safe, fast, and affordable way to prevent cavities in children. This bill allows parents or legal guardians to apply fluoride varnish to their child’s teeth at home under the remote supervision of a licensed provider, such as through a telehealth visit. The urgency is real. The federal government is moving to eliminate fluoride tablets and drops—often the only preventive option for children on well water. This legislation fills that gap.

Put Dental Hygienists Where They’re Needed Most S.3157 (May) / A.2341 (Paulin) – New York’s outdated laws restrict where dental hygienists can work without direct dentist supervision. That means fewer services in places like schools, nursing homes, domestic violence shelters, and rural clinics. These are places where dental care is often hard to come by. This bill would allow hygienists to provide care in more community-based settings under a consulting agreement with a dentist—not on-site supervision. Other states that have adopted similar laws have seen improved access and outcomes, especially for Medicaid consumers. 

These bills are ready. They are grounded in research, backed by practitioners, and designed to meet people’s needs. They don’t require new state spending. They simply remove outdated barriers and empower families and professionals to protect oral health. They just need the votes of state Assemblymembers. But time is running out. We urge lawmakers in Albany to act now—pass these bills through the Assembly and take a major step toward making dental care accessible, equitable, and prevention-focused for all New Yorkers. 

Bills One-Pager

Across New York, a quiet crisis is unfolding: millions of people, especially children, low-income families, older adults, and those living in rural areas, lack access to essential dental care. Tooth decay remains the most common chronic childhood disease, yet too many kids miss out on simple preventive services. Seniors in long-term care go without services that could prevent pain and infection. And underserved communities face a dwindling dental workforce. 

But it doesn’t have to be this way. 

The Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy and the Community Health Care Association of New York State, alongside partners across the state, are championing three powerful policy solutions to meet this challenge. Each is rooted in evidence and common sense—and each is ready for action in Albany. 

Let Parents Prevent Cavities at Home 

S.6759/A.8145 – Fluoride Varnish Application by Parents 

Fluoride varnish is one of the most effective, low-cost ways to prevent tooth decay in children. It’s quick, safe, and can be applied in under two minutes. Yet families across New York struggle to access this preventive service because of transportation issues, long waitlists, or limited availability of dental appointments. 

This bill authorizes parents to apply fluoride varnish at home under telehealth guidance from a licensed provider. Parents already play a central role in prevention, such as applying sunscreen. Fluoride varnish prevents disease and can be quickly applied at home, making telehealth a great vehicle for getting the service to more families. 

With the Federal Government about to eliminate access to fluoride supplements, this timely legislation fills the gap, helping more children avoid preventable pain and poor health.  

Expand Where Dental Hygienists Can Work 

S 3157/A2341 -Collaborative Practice Dental Hygiene 

New York’s laws currently limit where dental hygienists can practice without direct dentist supervision. The result: Skilled providers are underused, and vulnerable communities go without care. 

This bill would allow dental hygienists to practice in schools, nursing homes, domestic violence shelters, correctional facilities, and more, without direct supervision while maintaining a consulting relationship with a dentist. In New York, this successful model is currently restricted to certain medical facilities.  The bill builds on this success as well as proven models from other states where expanded hygiene practice has led to better access and outcomes. 

Dental hygienists are already embedded in communities. Let’s empower them to do more of what they’re trained to do: deliver prevention, education, and care where it’s needed most. 

More providers in more places means more New Yorkers getting the care they deserve. 

Unlock the Skills of Foreign-Trained Dentists 

A.3244-B/S.3966-A – Alternative Pathways to Licensure 

New York is facing a severe dental workforce shortage. Over 5 million residents live in areas with too few dental professionals—and the gap is growing. 

This bill offers a strategic solution: allow foreign-trained dentists to complete a supervised faculty mentorship or preceptorship instead of repeating an entire U.S.-based dental program. It recognizes their existing training and accelerates their entry into New York’s workforce, especially in high-need communities. 

Importantly, foreign-trained dentists are 2.5 times more likely to accept Medicaid, helping to bring care to populations that face significant barriers in accessing dental care. 

A Healthier New York Is Within Reach 

These three proposals form a bold, achievable path forward. They don’t just address symptoms; they transform the structure of oral health care, making it more efficient and accessible while maintaining quality. 

It’s time to move from barriers to bridges—and ensure that every New Yorker can smile with confidence.  

See more solutions in Schuyler Center’s report, From Barriers to Bridges: Redesigning New York’s Oral Health Workforce for Equity and Access on Schuyler Center’s website: Oral Health Workforce | Schuyler Center  

Last Look at the NYS 2022-23 Budget

Last Look at the NYS 2022-23 Budget

by | Apr 25, 2022 | Legislative, News

Last Look is our assessment of the enacted State budget and how it advances priorities that improve the health and well-being of all New Yorkers, especially children and families living in poverty.  

There is much to celebrate in this 2022-23 New York State Budget. The final budget contains some extraordinary investments in New York State children and families. 

Unfortunately, this budget is also a story of missed opportunity. New York leaders were presented with an unexpected revenue surplus and a strong economy, yet failed to make transformative investments in children and families, or even restore funding cuts undertaken in leaner times. 

Read Schuyler Center’s Last Look at the 2022-23 Budget.

Leading Child Care Advocates Join with Schuyler Center to Urge the NYS Congressional Delegation to Prioritize Children and Families in the Next Federal Stimulus

Leading Child Care Advocates Join with Schuyler Center to Urge the NYS Congressional Delegation to Prioritize Children and Families in the Next Federal Stimulus

by | Jul 27, 2020 | COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a terrific blow to families and communities in New York and the systems that provide essential health and human services. Even as the State begins to recover, it is clear that those already facing challenges of poverty, disability, ill-health, racial discrimination, and poor mental health were ravaged by this illness. These same families have also been more sharply impacted by school closures, layoffs, supply shortages, social distancing, and other fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The plain truth is that while the pandemic abruptly ruptured the often tenuous yet interconnected systems on which poor families rely, New York cannot rebuild alone. It will need extraordinary support from the federal government for state and local governments to pull out of this crisis and into recovery. Federal funds are essential to prevent New York State from slashing social services, education, child care, child welfare, and other family and child-serving programs.

On July 20, New York State child advocates joined together to urge Congress to stand firmly with children and families during negotiations on the next federal stimulus package. These advocacy organizations, dedicated to improving the lives of New Yorkers, particularly children living in poverty and in marginalized communities, outlined a set of appropriations and actions that need to be included in the next federal stimulus package to support families with young children and keep many of them from slipping into intractable poverty.

View our letter to the Members of the New York State Congressional Delegation.[/vc_column_text]

Highlights from Schuyler Center’s Sold-Out Policy Forum on Transforming Child Welfare

by | Dec 20, 2016 | General

Schuyler Center’s December 13th policy forum, Transforming Child Welfare and Children’s Lives:  Proven Strategies that Strengthen Families, was a tremendous success. The sold-out crowd included advocates, providers, policymakers, foster care alumni, new friends and old. Speakers included Sheila J. Poole, Acting Commissioner of NYS Office of Children and Family Services; Linda S. Spears, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families; Molly McGrath Tierney, Director of the Baltimore City Department of Social Services; Anni Keane and Rosie Williams, alumnae of the foster care system and advocates for You Gotta Believe; and Jeanette Vega, a parent previously involved with the child welfare system and now a parent leader for Rise. The speakers were inspiring in their passion, and in the practical suggestions they offered. 

Click here to read highlights from the event.

Schuyler Center’s Kate Breslin publishes article on the opportunity value-based payment for children presents for improving children’s health

by | Nov 4, 2016 | General

Kate Breslin’s article, Opportunities to improve children’s health by focusing on value, appears in the Winter 2017 issue of Behavioral Health News. The article explains that New York’s transformation of its health delivery system presents a significant opportunity to improve children’s health and well-being, but cautions that it also could “further systematize underspending” on children if it applies “adult-focused value-based payment principles to the child population.” Click here to read the article, which includes proposed recommendations the Schuyler Center urges the newly-formed subcommittee of the State’s Value-Based Payment Workgroup to consider as the subcommittee fulfills its charge of making recommendations for creating a value-based payment model for children.