Kansas Town Brings Dental Care to Low-Income Students
Back to school is a reason to smile for most children, but those smiles will shine a bit brighter for some students in Olathe, Kansas. That’s because many will receive access to professional oral health care services for the first time.
Back to school is a reason to smile for most children, but those smiles will shine a bit brighter for some students in Olathe, Kansas. That’s because many will receive access to professional oral health care services for the first time. This suburb of Kansas City is home to elementary schools serving some of the community’s poorest residents. In an effort to expand access to dental care, 12 elementary schools and two high schools will ask parents upon registration if the family has a dental home. Those who answer no will be granted access to a program in which dental hygienists provide care in the school setting. Olathe joins approximately 300 schools across the United States that offer school-based preventive oral care.
The Olathe school-based oral health programs focus on preventive services. Enrolled children will receive routine prophylaxis and application of fluoride varnish and sealants in an effort to reduce the risk of dental caries. Students who qualify for this care will also receive no- or low-cost care by a dentist from a nearby federally funded dental clinic on the school premises, eliminating the need for parents to seek follow-up care.
From Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. October 2015;13(10):16.
