Charity Offers Plastic Teeth Coating to Local Schoolchildren at no Cost
By Nate Carlisle
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 07/12/2007 11:38:50 AM MDT

Dental disease is the most common health problem among Utah elementary school children, according to the Utah Oral Health Coalition. But it is highly preventable.

Brushing, flossing and avoiding sugary food and drinks can help keep teeth healthy.

So, too, can a plastic coating that can be installed in 15 minutes.

A Murray company last month announced it would begin helping all Utah school children receive that coating. The program is called Sealants for Smiles and it offers the coating to local school children at no charge.

"We just feel that it's time to give back to the community," said Roger Adams, a vice president at Dental Select and the new CEO of Sealants for Smiles.

The company is expanding. Once available only in the Granite and Salt Lake City school districts, the program moves into elementary schools in Davis, Tooele and Summit counties this year. And administrators plan to make the program available throughout Utah in two years.

The program involves going to elementary schools and teaching children how to care for their teeth. Then students in the first or second grades can receive a sealant placed on their back teeth.

Dental sealants are a plastic material applied on rear teeth to prevent cavities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises parents to install sealants on children shortly after their first molars emerge, usually at age 6.

The United Way started Sealants for Smiles in 2005 to help improve child dental health in the Salt Lake Valley. Since then, the program has placed about 5,000 sealants on the teeth of 2,000 children, according to the United Way.

Last month, the United Way announced it was transferring control of the program to one of its sponsors, the Murray-based insurance provider Dental Select. In turn, Dental Select has formed a charity to operate Sealants for Smiles and announced the program would be expanding.

Adams said by spring 2011, Sealants for Smiles hopes to have placed coatings in the mouths of half of all Utah children considered underserved because they do not have access to dental care.

"What we want to do is provide access," Adams said. "We want to have the access available to any and every child in Utah."

Adams said Sealants for Smiles expects to spend about $200,000 on dental care this year. Dental Select is assuming the charity's administrative costs, which could be as much as $500,000 when Sealants for Smiles goes statewide, Adams said.

Steven Steed, the state dental director at the Utah Department of Health, said oral health continues to be a problem in Utah, with a 2005 survey showing 61 percent of 8-year-olds suffering from tooth decay. Dental Select's taking over Sealants for Smiles might offer the program more resources and open opportunities for more government and charitable funding, Steed said.

"I think it's a great opportunity for children to get some preventive dental care [who] may not be otherwise able to do so," Steed said.

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