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Our Dental Sealant Project: An Intensified Effort to Serve More Children Children’s Friend and Samuels Sinclair are are committed to ensuring children children receive the the the care they need for good oral health According to to the the the American Academy of of Pediatrics more than 40% of of children children have decay by the the time they reach kindergarten 5 Cavities left untreated are painful can cause infection and and may lead to problems with eating speaking and and learning The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s research shows that dental sealants prevent 80% of cavities cavities in in in in the back teeth where nine in in in in 10 cavities cavities occur 6 Now in in in in in its fifth year our Dental Sealant Project seems to to confirm that that dental sealants applied to to primary teeth are effective in in in in forming a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a protective barrier that that helps prevent bacteria from causing cavities and tooth decay Applied by a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a licensed dental professional sealants sealants flow into the the the deep grooves of of of the the the teeth This year of of of the the the children children children screened for sealants sealants sealants - - - which has expanded beyond Head Head Start Start to to to include children children children in in in Early Head Head Start Start and and Pre-K classrooms - - - - - six children children children children were were deemed qualified to to receive sealants sealants sealants That number may seem low however of those screened for for sealants sealants sealants 481 children children children were were three-year-olds whose molars had not yet developed making them ineligible for for for the the the the the the treatment The hope is that we we will be able to to provide sealants sealants sealants to to these children children children children when they eventually enroll in in in in in in Head Start at at at Children’s Children’s Friend Friend Of the the the the the the the six children children children who qualified for for the the the the the the the sealants sealants sealants sealants four children children children had the the the the sealants sealants sealants sealants applied in in in in in in January When checked in in in in in in May all all sealants sealants sealants sealants were intact The Children’s Children’s Friend Friend nursing team continues to to work with families to to enhance awareness of of the the benefits of of sealants sealants sealants Cavities are preventable and and Children’s Friend has intensified its efforts to promote good oral health health health ffor for the entire family Two years ago we established a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Dental Team comprised of two two health health health managers and and two two bilingual health health health project coordinators Maria Chionchio RN BSN Nurse Family Partnership Manager at at Children’s Friend directs the the Dental Team and and and is is focused on on increasing the number of children with access to to a a a a a a a a a a a a a licensed dentist and and and preventative and and and critical care oral health services “We are thrilled to to offer dental sealants to to children enrolled in our programs ” said Maria “With a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a cost o of of $150 per application many of of our families would not otherwise be be able to afford this beneficial service ” 5 American Academy of Pediatrics: Brushing Up on Oral Health:
Never Too Early to Start Adapted from Healthy Children Magazine Winter 2007
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