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Be Smart & Seal Them!

A Good Idea

Description

Be Smart & Seal Them! is a school-based program to provide dental sealants to second grade students. Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings applied to the chewing surface of molars to prevent tooth decay. School nurses assist with on-site planning, securing parental consent, and follow-up with parents of children who need additional care. Volunteer dentists and dental hygienists perform a dental screening, place sealants on students’ teeth, and provide referrals for children in need of additional care. Sealants are provided by partner groups, including KIND (Kids in Need of Dentistry), Rocky Mountain Youth, Denver Health, El Paso County, and Valley RE-1 School District. The program also includes classroom presentations on oral hygiene and presentations on oral health for parents.

Goal / Mission

The goal of the Be Smart & Seal Them! program is to provide dental sealants proven to prevent tooth decay to second grade students.

Results / Accomplishments

In a single school year, the intervention provided over 1,200 dental screenings and nearly 1,000 sealants to second grade students in 36 Denver schools. Eight hundred third grade students received additional services. The program has expanded to include schools across Colorado.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Oral Health Unit
Primary Contact
Alyssa Milam, Dental Sealant Coordinator
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Oral Health Unit
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South PSD-OH-A4
Denver, CO 80246-1530
(303) 692-2529
alyssa.milam@state.co.us
http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/pp/oralhealth/OralHea...
Topics
Health / Oral Health
Health / Children's Health
Organization(s)
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Oral Health Unit
Date of publication
2008
Date of implementation
2004
Location
Washington
For more details
http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/pp/oralhealth/dentals...

Related Promising Practices

  1. The Crest Cavity-Free Zone Program
  2. Early Childhood Cavities Prevention Program
  3. Dental Caries (Cavities): Community Water Fluoridation
  4. School-Based Intervention to Promote Tooth Brushing
  5. Dental Caries (Cavities): School-Based Dental Sealant Delivery Programs
  6. New Mexico School-Based Dental Sealant Program

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A Good Idea meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program funding source, program implementation steps and outcomes.
  2. The program evaluation is limited to descriptive measure(s) of success/accomplishment (i.e., program participation rates, number of services/education sessions/radio messages provided). Note: oftentimes, the program has been newly implemented and a program evaluation has not yet been conducted. Programs that have not yet been evaluated, but which show promise in improving health or quality of life, are classified as Good Ideas until an evaluation is conducted.
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