Board Approves In-School Dental Clinics

ENFIELD - The school board on Tuesday approved a contract with non-profit health care center to provide in-school dental clinics for students.

Community Health Center Inc. will administer the in-school clinics. CHC is a federally qualified health center, meaning that it meets certain requirements, including a high standard of clinical care.

The purpose of the in-school dental program is to increase access to dental health services, particularly for low-income and publicly insured children.

The clinic is also available to students with insurance. School Superintendent John Gallacher said Wednesday that the in-school clinics would be phased in beginning with schools that have the highest number of students who are eligible for free and reduced lunch.

Gallacher said the plan is to begin the program at Thomas Alcorn Elementary School and Enfield Street Elementary School in the first two weeks of the new school year. Schools reopen Sept. 4.

Gallacher said the goal is to eventually reach all the schools, something he anticipates will take about a year to do.

"It's convenient for the parents," Gallacher said of the service, since parents don't have to take off time to take their children to the dentist.

Consent forms and other materials will be sent home with students to be filled out by parents. The services will be billed to the insurance company. For children without insurance, a flat fee of $30 will be charged for the initial visit, according to a draft of the agreement between CHC and the school board.

Only basic non-invasive dental procedures will be performed by a licensed dental hygienist at the in-school clinics, such as dental hygiene examinations and fluoride treatments.
CHC, which has offices statewide, is opening a local office at 9 Main St. in mid-September.

Rep. Karen Jarmoc, (D-59th District), who helped bring the program to the schools, said it will provide an opportunity for children who may not have received any dental care to receive treatment.

Jarmoc noted the long-term harmful effects of not receiving such care, saying, "It's really critical that kids from the start get into the mode of getting their teeth cleaned."

"I think it's a great service," school board Chairwoman Sharon Racine said at the meeting Tuesday. "Unfortunately, there are a lot of children out there without dental care."

The board voted 6-2 in favor of the contract, with school board members Andre Greco and Chuck Johnson voting against it.

Greco and Johnson said they had concerns about the potential for liability for the schools.

"We have comprehensive liability coverage," Yvette Francis Highsmith, who will be the director of the local CHC, said at the meeting Tuesday.

Highsmith added that during in-school clinics, CHC will be responsible for workers compensation and liability insurance.

CHC conducts the program in 96 school systems throughout the state and has been providing in-school services for 18 years, Highsmith said.

Source: http://www.journalinquirer.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18765374&BRD=985&PAG=461&dept_id=569427&rfi=6




Profile of a Newsmaker: Lisbon Woman Retires After Five Decades as Dental Hygienist


In the news: Nancy Randall of Lisbon recently retired from Griswold Dental Associates, where she has worked as a dental hygienist for more than 50 years, in Jewett City.

Background: Randall, originally from Providence, began her career in 1954, just 10 days after her marriage to Charles Randall Jr., an Eastern Connecticut native. Her husband, who died in 1994, ran a landscaping business in which Nancy helped with the office administration.

Education: In 1960, Randall enrolled at the University of Rhode Island, where she earned a degree in dental hygiene, and later returned to the same dental office in Jewett City where she has worked her entire career.

Family: She has one daughter, Amy Randall Walker, a teacher in the Windham school district, and two grandchildren, Colby, 9, and Courtney, 12.

Rewards: Randall said her career as a dental hygienist has proved far more rewarding than she would have believed when she first started working. She is a member of the American and Connecticut Dental Hygienist associations. She accompanied Dr. Jeremiah Lowney to Haiti in 1998 to volunteer at the clinic he founded there. "It was only for a week," she said, "but that was very rewarding. It makes you appreciate the life that we have here."

Retirement: Randall said she's not really sure how she will spend her retirement. She thinks it will include some trips, but none are planned at the moment. Active in her church, she said she likely would continue to volunteer there. "As for what I'm going to do for relaxation," she said. "I guess we're going to find out."

Quotable: "Dental hygiene has been good to me," she said. "I only hope that I have been good for it."

Top 10 Things to Know About Your Dental Hygienist

These days, a visit with your dental hygienist may result in more benefits than just cleaner teeth and healthier gums -- you might even decide to stop smoking, improve your nutrition or check to see if you might be at risk for diabetes.

"Most people simply don't realize just how educated and skilled their dental hygienists are," said Susan McLearan, president of the California Dental Hygienists' Association (CDHA). "The profession has evolved to the point where we actually can save lives."

In keeping with its mission to raise public awareness about dental health and to promote the value of seeing a dental hygienist, the association has issued the following list of the Top Ten Things Californians Should Know About Their Dental Hygienists.

"The list is intended to show how dental hygienists play such an integral role in overall public health -- in many different ways and on many different levels."

That role is reflected in the following facts about Registered Dental
Hygienists (RDH):

1. Highly Educated Professionals -- The minimum level of education for licensure is equivalent to a four-year degree with two years specializing in dental hygiene.

2. Committed to Expanding Access to Care -- Specially licensed hygienists can go into underserved communities and provide dental hygiene services to some of the millions of Californians who would otherwise have no access to dental care.

3. Screen for Oral Cancer -- Dental hygienists possess the skills to be the first health professional to identify potential signs of oral cancer and refer a patient to a physician.

4. Promote Healthy Nutrition -- Dental hygienists can tell if a patient is eating poorly or is malnourished; they can then offer helpful advice and information.

5. Spot Signs of Eating Disorders -- Also related to nutritional issues, eating disorders can also be recognized in the mouth during a check up.

6. Recognize Signs of Diabetes -- Dental hygienists can alert patients that they might be in danger from diabetes, and refer them to seek confirmation from a medical doctor.

7. Promote Smoking Cessation -- When examining patients who smoke tobacco, dental hygienists often will counsel them to quit and provide resources and information about steps they can take to stop smoking.

8. Prevent Gum and Periodontal Disease -- By cleaning and examining teeth and gums, dental hygienists play a major role in preventing common oral diseases.

9. Understand the Link Between Oral Health and Emotional Health in Children -- Dental hygienists are passionate about promoting good oral health among children, who can often suffer speech impediments, social ridicule, diminished self esteem and other problems related to poor oral health.

10. Represented by CDHA, the Official Voice of Dental Hygiene -- Since CDHA was established 20 years ago, dental hygienists have been making continuous strides toward becoming the skilled, autonomous and essential public health professionals that they are today.

Furthermore, dental hygienists are qualified to detect a wide range of other life-threatening conditions, including high blood pressure and HIV.

"The items on our list really underscore that the mouth is a window into a person's comprehensive health," said CDHA's McLearan. "And because the average person sees a hygienist more often than a physician, it is especially important for people to understand the many facets and benefits of the dental hygiene profession."

The California Dental Hygienists' Association (CDHA) is the authoritative voice of the state's dental hygiene profession. While registered dental hygienists have worked in the state for nearly a century, CDHA was established 20 years ago when two regional associations merged to form a unified professional group. CDHA represents thousands of dental hygienists throughout the state and is dedicated to expanding opportunities for the
profession and access to care for all Californians.

Source: California Dental Hygienists' Association