Dental hygienists to offer free preventive care for schoolchildren
A new partnership between Brooker Memorial and local schools will mean schoolchildren in Torrington receive free preventive dental care.
Brooker Memorial is a non-profit organisation, which helps people in the local community by offering certain events and programmes. Their latest venture is a partnership between the Brooker Memorial Children’s Dental Center and public and elementary schools in the Torrington area.
The new programme will involve qualified dental hygienists going into schools to offer free preventive dental care to children in grades K-8. The programme was trialled at two schools in January this year and offered care to children that had never seen a dentist before, as well as those that had both mild and severe tooth decay.
Tooth decay and gum disease are increasingly prevalent amongst young children in America, with many dentist and health experts saying that these dental health issues have reached epidemic proportions. Offering preventive dentistry to children allows dentists to identify the early warning signs and treat the condition, which will prevent the spread of decay and heal the tooth. Providing care at school will also allow children to receive dental care without missing valuable time in school; the appointments take just twenty minutes and can have a huge impact on general dental health.
Dental health is extremely important, especially as recent studies have confirmed a link between poor oral health and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Teaching children about looking after their teeth and gums, healthy eating and oral hygiene will enable them to take the initiative and improve their oral health; they can also pass on their habits and knowledge to other people.
Children at the participating schools will need permission from their parents to receive dental treatment from staff at Brooker Memorial. The programme is open to all children but it aims to target those from low-income families, who cannot afford dental care. Treatments will include scaling and polishing, fluoride treatment, dental examinations and molar sealant programmes, as well as information and advice on oral hygiene.
Join this Discussion