Sunday, November 20, 2011

How to Change the World

So I went out and tried to find dental health programs in school. Apparently we teach them HOW, we just don't actually make them do it...
I could only find a couple examples.

Children brush teeth at school (Christchurch AU)
Each school day, usually after lunch, children retrieve their individually numbered brushes fixed to the wall, put adult-strength fluoride paste on them and head back to their desks for five minutes of brushing. They each get a water cup for rinsing. They dump their used water into a big plastic bin, which is disposed of by a teacher or supervisor.
And then there's America-
Swish, spit, protest: The new Mass. tooth brushing law
The state Department of Early Education & Care is requiring all children in day care longer than four hours and/or who eat a meal to have their teeth brushed on-site. (Parents send in the brush, which is to be replaced every few months, or if the kid is out sick.)Some schools are adopting the regulations for older kids as well, so we'll certainly be seeing more of it in the coming months.
Parents can opt out of this rule, and from what I hear anecdotally, quite a few are angrily doing so.
I also found a program in Virginia that provides flouride rinse to kids because the water supply doesn't.
Antibacterial mouth rinse would work better, but it's a start.

Hey now here's a great idea:
Keewatin and Ely Students Receive Dental Care At School
The Smiles Across Minnesota program is available to any child regardless of ability to pay or whether they have insurance. Students get X–rays, cleanings, fluoride treatments, sealants, fillings, crowns and teeth pulled all from a dentist without ever having to leave school.
"Instead of missing a half a day or a whole day to travel far to find a dentist who accepts medical assistance, the children miss on average only about thirty minutes from school," Sarah Wovcha, Executive Director of Children's Dental Services said.

INSTITUTIONALIZED ORAL HYGIENE IS THE SINGLE MOST EFFECTIVE THING THAT WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND WELFARE OF THE WORLD.

Germany, Sweden, Japan- anyone out there who can tell me if you guys do this?