School-Based Fluoride Rinse Program
Research has shown that children who rinse weekly during the school year with a 0.2 percent neutral sodium fluoride solution have 30 to 40 percent fewer cavities. Most Idahoans live in areas where the amount of fluoride in the water is low. The School Fluoride Mouth Rinse Program gives children in these areas the protection of fluoride.
School-Based Dental Sealants
A dental sealant is a plastic substance that is painted in the pits and grooves of molars to protect teeth from decay. Using portable dental equipment, a complete dental operatory is set up at a school. Second grade children are examined by a Registered Dental Hygienist and then sealants are placed on permanent molars.
Schools are identified on the basis of the percentage of students enrolled in the Free/Reduced Lunch Program. North Central District Health Department has partnered with Regence BlueShield of Idaho Caring Foundation for Children to increase the number of schools selected for sealant clinics.
Early Childhood Caries (ECC) Prevention Program
Families on the WIC (Women, Infant, and Children) Program are elibible for sliding scale fluoride varnish, oral exam and nutrition counseling twice per year up to age five.
The focus is to have a preventative dental exam by age one and to raise the parent awareness of the causes of ECC. District 2 has five outlying offices that schedule these clinics once per month.
- Take Time For Teeth
- Prevent Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
- How To Brush and Floss (ADA; Interactive)
- Visit The Dentist with Marty (ADA; Interactive Story)
- WIC Program Information
Oral Health Promotion
Give Kids A Smile 2008
Dentists in District 2 provided over $25,000 worth of free exam, x-rays, cleanings and fillings for the American Dental Association’s “Give Kids A Smile Program” for February 2007. Give Kids A Smile 2008 is sponsored by ADA, Regence Caring Foundation for Children, and Delta Dental of Idaho.
Headstart School Visits
Oral health professionals visit headstart schools to provide classroom education. Each child is given a toothbrush and is educated on tooth decay.
- Orthodontia: Problems to Watch for in Adults
Pregnancy And Oral Health
Oral Health Resources
- Idaho State Board of Dentistry
- American Dental Association
- My Water’s Fluoride
- Chewing Tobacco and Oral Cancer
- How To Brush and Floss (ADA; Interactive)
For more information, contact the Oral Health Program at 208-799-3100.