§280k–3 Updating national oral healthcare surveillance activities

Summary

The Health and Human Services Secretary must update and improve the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) to better track oral health. States must send a PRAMS report about oral-health activities to HHS no later than 5 years after March 23, 2010, and every 5 years after that. The oral-health measures HHS creates for PRAMS must be used in those state reports. Money as needed is authorized to do this. HHS must add tooth-level oral exams to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and update them at least every 6 years. Tooth-level exams mean checking every surface of every tooth and can be expanded by the CDC Division of Oral Health. The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey must verify dental use, spending, and coverage with a look-back analysis. Funds as needed are authorized for fiscal years 2010 through 2014 to grow the National Oral Health Surveillance System from 16 states to all 50 states, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia, and that system must measure early childhood caries.