Elementary Students Receive Early Gift This Holiday Season
Helping to Prevent Cavities For Years to Come
Some Oregon Trail Elementary students in Twin Falls are receiving an early gift this holiday season. As part of Delta Dental of Idaho’s Community Outreach program, Oregon Trail 2nd and 3rd graders have the opportunity to receive free dental sealants at their school, helping to prevent cavities for several years or more. Delta Dental’s Community Outreach began offering the sealants at Oregon Trail Elementary December 3rd and will continue through December 17th as part of its expanded efforts to provide preventive dental treatment for children of families that may not have access to or can’t afford dental care. Oregon Trail is one of 64 schools across the state selected for Delta Dental’s Sealant Clinic outreach program.
“Too often our Dental Sealant Clinic staff sees a child who is in pain because of untreated dental disease,” says Lisa Reed, Delta Dental Community Outreach Manager. “While dental issues may begin with ‘just a cavity’, it can affect a child’s overall health and ability to perform in school, or worse, if left untreated,” says Reed. Unfortunately cavities are an all too common problem. More than 75 percent of children in south central Idaho have a history of cavities by the time they reach third grade, according to a 2005 Idaho Health and Welfare survey. Delta Dental Community Outreach expanded its dental sealant clinics to south central Idaho in March of this year.
Access to professional care and good preventive habits at home are key factors in reducing cavities. Dental sealants can help prevent cavities for several years or more by filling the pits and grooves of a child’s back teeth where 90 percent of their cavities occur. “By offering our free dental sealant clinics to schools serving low-income families, it is our hope to reach as many uninsured children in our state as possible,” says Reed.
The dental sealant clinic includes a registered dental hygienist, dental assistant, and a clinic aide. They apply the dental sealants on-site at selected schools and provide one-on-one instruction about good dental care. Students are required to have a signed health history and permission form from their parent or guardian to participate.
Delta Dental of Idaho is the state’s oldest and largest dental benefits carrier and is a non-profit organization. They have been dedicated to better dental health for more than 35 years. Delta Dental Community Outreach, the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of Idaho, includes multiple programs that focus on education and preventive treatment for Idahoans with and without dental coverage.