Preventive Services Program (PSP)
What is the Preventive Services Program (PSP)?
The PSP is devoted to improving healthy smiles for all of Missouri’s children. The goal of PSP is to look at the oral health of Missouri’s children and provide a public health service to help improve their oral health.
PSP is a FREE community and school-based program for children from the first tooth to seniors in high school. PSP offers oral health education, mouth reviews, and fluoride varnish. PSP helps prevent cavities (tooth decay).
Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood. Untreated tooth decay can cause pain and infections. It can also lead to problems with eating, speaking, playing, and learning. Children with poor oral health miss more school and can have lower grades than children with good oral health. Oral health is an important part of overall health.
The good news is that tooth decay is preventable. Fluoride varnish can stop about 33 percent of tooth decay in the baby teeth.
PSP data showed that one in four children reviewed had untreated tooth decay, in the 2024-25 school year.