Look at a group picture of happy elementary school children and you’ll probably notice a gap-toothed smile. Losing your first tooth is a rite of passage in elementary school. Kids that are lucky enough to lose a tooth at school might even score a small, plastic tooth-shaped box in which the tooth can be transported home safely.
Tooth decay is another rite of passage in childhood, though definitely not a lucky one. By third grade, one in four children in Wisconsin have active tooth decay. Without treatment, tooth decay causes cavities and as cavities grow, many children experience oral pain, which can set off a cascade of negative consequences.
Children with oral pain may experience increased school absenteeism, difficulty eating and speaking, trouble sleeping, difficulty paying attention in school, and avoidance of recreational activities. Fear of going to the dentist and lack of dental care resources magnify these consequences and children of all ages, kindergarten through high school, can suffer the effects.
Fortunately, for school-aged children in Walworth County, Open Arms Free Clinic delivers care to children through the Seal-A-Smile program, a school-based program that exists to improve children’s oral health and prevent tooth decay. There is no cost for families to enroll their children in this program and preventive services are delivered at school, during the regular school day.
Children losing their teeth in elementary school is inevitable–through programs like Seal-A-Smile, tooth decay and its consequences don’t have to be.
SEAL-A-SMILE IN ACTION
On a recent Tuesday, the OAFC Seal-A-Smile team was ready to provide preventive dental services to kindergarten through third grade students enrolled in the program. The team had arrived the day before with a portable dental system, a dental chair, a computer for charting, and equipment and supplies needed to provide preventive dental care, Now it was all set up, and Christine, the dental hygienist and Abby, the dental assistant, were ready to start the day.
Children arrived to the little room in the back of the library in groups of two or three. Christine set a positive tone, making each child feel welcome and comfortable before setting to work. While she counted and assessed each child’s teeth for signs of tooth decay, Abby was by her side charting the findings and providing assistance as needed. Along the way, Christine interjected small tidbits of dental hygiene education to each of her young patients.
After completing the initial assessment, Christine provided each child with appropriate preventive dental care, including sealants where indicated. Once a child’s adult molars are fully grown in, a hygienist can apply a dental sealant to the chewing surface of those teeth. The sealant acts as a permanent barrier to bacteria and provides long-term protection against tooth decay.
In a matter of five or ten minutes, each child received an oral health assessment, developmentally-appropriate dental hygiene education, and evidence-based preventive services. When their short visit with Christine and Abby was over, the children went back to their classrooms with a new toothbrushes and a notes to take home, informing their family of the visit and indicating any areas of concern that need to be addressed by a dentist.
BETTER ORAL HEALTH FOR THE CHILDREN OF WALWORTH COUNTY
Since 2022, the OAFC Community Programs Manager has nurtured partnerships with many Walworth County school districts to bring the Seal-A-Smile program into their schools. Partner schools (elementary, middle & high schools) assist with distributing information to families and collecting consent forms, while OAFC works with individual schools to set dates for Seal-A-Smile to set up shop.
Once on site, the OAFC team spends the time it needs to see all the children enrolled in the program. The team might spend one day at a smaller school and a week or more at a larger school. The team also works with school staff and the staff at the Open Arms dental clinic to coordinate care for children who need early and urgent dental care.
In one respect, the impact on children and their families is minimal. Students enrolled in the program receive all Seal-A-Smile services for free. School-based care addresses the lack of convenient dental care in a rural area. It also means family members don’t have to miss work to take a child to a dental appointment and students spend minimal time out of the classroom.
In another respect, the impact on children and their families is great. Since 2022, the program has provided preventive dental services to more than 7,800 students and applied sealants to more than 5,000 teeth. Over 2,500 children were referred for early dental care and more than 5% of children needed urgent dental care.
In other words, one in three children cared for by Christine and Abby were in need of further dental treatment; treatment that could result in fewer cavities, less dental pain, less school absenteeism, better sleep, better engagement in school, and higher participation in recreational activities. It’s hard not to imagine the positive impact those things would have for any child.
Now consider the other two out of three children cared for by Christine and Abby. These children might never need early or urgent dental care thanks to the dental screenings and preventive care received by participating in Seal-A-Smile. Overall, the program’s impact on children, families, schools, and communities is vast. Oral health is part of overall health, and when people are healthy, communities thrive.
OAFC is proud to partner with schools in the community and will continue to provide care that results in healthy teeth and happy smiles for the children of Walworth County.