|  The
Healthy Smiles Sealant Program was initiated through a pilot
grant in 1999 funded by the Saint
Luke's Foundation of Cleveland. The partnership between
Case School of Dental Medicine, the Cleveland Municipal School
District and Saint Luke's Foundation led to a District-wide
program in 2001 when the Foundation elevated the Sealant Program
to Strategic Initiative Status. As one of three Strategic initiatives
within the Foundation, the Sealant Program was designated as
an evergreen (continuous) funding program. In 2002, the Sealant
Program was awarded a four year grant from the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation to educate all second and sixth
grade school children, their parents, teachers, school nurses,
and principals. In 2004, the Sealant Program was able to initiate
the education of pre-kindergartners through first graders from
a grant awarded by the Cleveland
Foundation. In addition to the annual funding for the Sealant
Program totaling three-quarters of a million dollars, Proctor
and Gamble donates free tooth brushes, toothpaste and instruction
booklets to every child examined in the program; Ultradent Products
Incorporated donates free sealant material for everyone purchased;
KoVo America Corporation donated two Diagnadent instruments
and Bedford Auto Rentals only charges for days used while retaining
the vans throughout the school year. In addition, the University
provides storage space for the dental equipment, supplies and
vehicles at no charge. Due to the foundations and in-kind donations,
no tuition dollars are utilized to fund the Healthy Smiles Sealant
Program.
 The
mission of the Healthy Smiles Sealant Program is to reduce disparities
in oral health care for underserved school children in the Cleveland
Municipal School District, the largest school district in Ohio.
In order to accomplish this mission, it was necessary to change
the dental school curriculum by creating a 72-hour academic
course entitled, “Outreach Preventive Dentistry”,
during the first semester of the first-year curriculum. After
completion of the course which entails 40 hours of lecture,
12 hours of laboratory sealant placement and 20 hours of in-clinic
sealant placement, the school-based sealant component commences
in early December for a three-week block of time. During the
2004-2005 school year, first year dental students spent over
100 hours treating school children in 28 elementary/middle schools
in the Cleveland Municipal School District.
 The
school-based clinical experience carries through all four years of dental school. In all during the 2004-2005 school year, 93 elementary
and middle schools were visited; over 5,000 school children
were examined and treated; approximately 3,000 children were referred
for more extensive treatment; and over 13,000 sealants were
placed. Also during the 2004-2005 school year, over 100 schools were
visited by our health educators with over 9,100 second and sixth
graders and over 5,900 pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first
graders receiving oral health education. All services received
by the children were free of charge due to the generosity of
the foundations and in-kind donations.
The objectives of the Healthy Smiles Sealant Program are to
(1) Treat all second and sixth grade children in the Cleveland
Municipal School District with a signed consent form; (2) Perform
on-site dental exams on second and sixth graders and place sealants
on all permanent molar teeth at risk for dental decay; (3) Provide
classroom education by dental health educators to all pre-kindergarten,
kindergarten, first, second and sixth graders and their parents,
teachers, school nurses and principals; (4) Expose all dental
students to the needs of underserved children and the communities
in which they live; and (5) Refer all participating school children
with dental disease for dental care. In order to accomplish
the objectives, Healthy Smiles Sealant Program maintains a staff
of 13 personnel: a dental director, two half-time dentists,
half-time dental coordinator, full-time and part-time dental assistant, part-time
and a half-time dental hygienist, two full-time health educators, a half-time expanded function dental auxillary, a half-time referral
coordinator, and a full-time equipment technician/driver. It
is through the dedication of the Sealant staff, the volunteer
dentists and all 280 dental students that we have been so successful.
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