HEALTH DEPARTMENT BEGINS DENTAL SCREENINGS AT LINCOLN ELEMENTARY
JACKSON, Tenn. – Dental hygienists with the Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department began screening students at Lincoln Elementary School this week.
Dental hygienists screen approximately 1,500 students in the Jackson-Madison County School System each school year. The team applies sealants and silver diamine fluoride (SDF). Sealants help prevent tooth decay. SDF prevents cavities from getting bigger. “We are pumped to kick off the new school year at Lincoln Elementary School and ready to get Jackson-Madison County students excited about oral health,” Kristin Bodiford, RDH, said.
The School Based Dental Prevention Program (SBDPP) is funded through federal grant money and free of charge for all students who participate. Our registered dental hygienists screen kindergarten through eighth grade students in the Jackson-Madison County School System at schools where more than 50 percent of students qualify for free and reduced lunch. They spend on average about three weeks at each campus.
Students must turn in a permission slip signed by a parent or guardian in order to participate. “With permission from parents, all students can expect a dental screening and fluoride treatment, along with good conversation about how to take care of their teeth at home,” Bodiford said. “If the student has permanent teeth, he/she can expect to have an application of sealants on those permanent molars.”
The parent or guardian receives a report from the dental hygienist after each screening. If a student has a cavity or other problem, the report will let parents know the child needs to be seen by a dentist for treatment.
Dental disease causes children to miss more than 51 million school hours each year, according to the American Dental Association. We encourage each student to receive a dental examination, complete with x-rays, at least once a year by his or her family dentist.
Dental staff also plan to screen students at Alexander Elementary, Isaac Lane Elementary, Arlington Elementary, South Elementary, Northeast Middle, East Elementary, North Parkway Middle, Jackson Central-Merry Middle, and Pope Elementary during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Find more information about the School Based Dental Prevention Program at https://www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/oralhealth/oral-health-programs/school-based-dental-program.html.
