Harris CountyHarris County

HCPHESHCPHESPublic Health & Environmental ServicesPublic Health & Environmental Services

Disease Control & Clinical Prevention Disease Control & Clinical Prevention DivisionDivision

Dental Health & Prevention ServicesDental Health & Prevention Services

Dental Health Dental Health Education/PromotionEducation/Promotion

A Population-based A Population-based Outreach ProgramOutreach Program

Is Oral Health an Important Is Oral Health an Important

Health Concern?Health Concern?

Cavities or Tooth Decay is Cavities or Tooth Decay is 5 times5 times as common as asthma and as common as asthma and 7 times7 times as common as hay fever.as common as hay fever.

Children and adolescents living in Children and adolescents living in poverty suffer poverty suffer TWICETWICE as much tooth as much tooth decay as their affluent peers, and decay as their affluent peers, and their disease is more likely to go their disease is more likely to go untreated.untreated.

Why Teach Oral Health?Why Teach Oral Health?

According to the Surgeon General’s According to the Surgeon General’s Report on Oral Health, more than Report on Oral Health, more than 51 51 MILLION SCHOOL HOURSMILLION SCHOOL HOURS are lost each are lost each year because of dental-related illness.year because of dental-related illness.

The daily reality for children with The daily reality for children with untreated oral disease is often persistent untreated oral disease is often persistent PAINPAIN, inability to eat comfortably or , inability to eat comfortably or chew well, embarrassment, and chew well, embarrassment, and DISTRACTION FROM LEARNING.DISTRACTION FROM LEARNING.

HEALTH EDUCATION:HEALTH EDUCATION:The provision of health information to people in such a way that The provision of health information to people in such a way that they apply it in everyday living.they apply it in everyday living.

HEALTH PROMOTION:HEALTH PROMOTION:Actions that enable or empower individuals to improve their Actions that enable or empower individuals to improve their health.health.

Goal -Goal -

Improve the Improve the QUALITY OF LIFEQUALITY OF LIFE though though OptimalOptimal ORAL HEALTH!ORAL HEALTH!

..

Effective Educational Effective Educational Programs:Programs:

Start education early and reinforce yearlyStart education early and reinforce yearly Encourage personal responsibilityEncourage personal responsibility Establish relationships with health Establish relationships with health

professionals and school personnelprofessionals and school personnel Utilize teachers and nurses as health Utilize teachers and nurses as health

educatorseducators Lessons and take home materials cause a Lessons and take home materials cause a

ripple effect with parentsripple effect with parents Help parents to reinforce daily home careHelp parents to reinforce daily home care Parents learn about effective dental Parents learn about effective dental

health practices from childrenhealth practices from children

HCPHES Dental Health HCPHES Dental Health Education/PromotionEducation/Promotion

16 Harris County school districts 16 Harris County school districts participated in the HCPHES Dental Health participated in the HCPHES Dental Health Education Program for the 2005-2006 school Education Program for the 2005-2006 school yearyear

Individual service, resources and Individual service, resources and consultations were provided to over 276 consultations were provided to over 276 primary and elementary schools in Harris primary and elementary schools in Harris CountyCounty

34 School-based Smile Saver Containers of 34 School-based Smile Saver Containers of educational materials/videotapes are located educational materials/videotapes are located in 16 school districts in Harris Countyin 16 school districts in Harris County

Promotion of Harris County Clinics/Provision Promotion of Harris County Clinics/Provision of Dental Referral Informationof Dental Referral Information

School Health Fairs and Community EventsSchool Health Fairs and Community Events

Oral screeningsOral screenings

Summer reading program emphasizing oral Summer reading program emphasizing oral health care in 25 Harris County Librarieshealth care in 25 Harris County Libraries

Is Oral Health a Concern Is Oral Health a Concern of School Nurses?of School Nurses?

We wanted to know…We wanted to know…so we asked…so we asked…

YES - Oral health is a concern of school YES - Oral health is a concern of school nurses nurses and considered important and considered important for their for their student’s overall student’s overall healthhealth

YES - The dental health resources and YES - The dental health resources and educational materials educational materials

HCPHES provides HCPHES provides are integral to are integral to each school’s programeach school’s program

YES - Oral health care is being taught to YES - Oral health care is being taught to students students by teachers, nurses and by teachers, nurses and dental office staffdental office staff

Educational Resources Help Educational Resources Help Nurses, Teachers and Families!Nurses, Teachers and Families!

All schools reported that the resources provided All schools reported that the resources provided by HCPHES were vitally important to their by HCPHES were vitally important to their school’s oral health programs. school’s oral health programs.

Our department also promotes the FREE Crest Our department also promotes the FREE Crest and Colgate programs as additional educational and Colgate programs as additional educational resources. The link to these resources are on resources. The link to these resources are on our website.our website.

71% of schools order the Crest 71% of schools order the Crest Program Program for 1for 1stst grade grade

52% of schools order the Colgate 52% of schools order the Colgate Program Program for Kindergartenfor Kindergarten

PROGRAM RESULTS…PROGRAM RESULTS…Effective Strategies Overcome Effective Strategies Overcome

Barriers to Dental Health Barriers to Dental Health Education!Education!

Utilizing grade level educational packets for easy Utilizing grade level educational packets for easy use and access by teachers and nursesuse and access by teachers and nurses

““In district” locations for easy utilization of materialsIn district” locations for easy utilization of materials Using various types of educational resourcesUsing various types of educational resources Including parent information for home re-Including parent information for home re-

enforcementenforcement Program adaptation utilizing school nurse feedback Program adaptation utilizing school nurse feedback Establishing personal relationships with nursesEstablishing personal relationships with nurses Orienting new nurses at the beginning of their first Orienting new nurses at the beginning of their first

semester to HCPHES resources, services and referral semester to HCPHES resources, services and referral informationinformation

Providing Professional, Quality Service with a Providing Professional, Quality Service with a SMILE!SMILE!

In Conclusion…In Conclusion… Community support was overwhelming for the Community support was overwhelming for the

HCPHES dental education/promotion program – a HCPHES dental education/promotion program – a 77% response rate with participation from 16 school 77% response rate with participation from 16 school districts representing all socioeconomic groups. districts representing all socioeconomic groups.

School Nurses agree that dental health education School Nurses agree that dental health education impacts the oral health practices of students and impacts the oral health practices of students and their families and the resources and services their families and the resources and services provided by HCPHES are appreciated and utilized.provided by HCPHES are appreciated and utilized.

School Nurses agree that oral health care is School Nurses agree that oral health care is valuable to include in health fairs, parenting valuable to include in health fairs, parenting programs and in hygiene/growth and development programs and in hygiene/growth and development classes.classes.

You Can’t Be Healthy You Can’t Be Healthy Without Good ORAL Without Good ORAL

HEALTH!HEALTH!

For Good Oral Health…For Good Oral Health…

BRUSHBRUSH YourYour TEETH AND GUMSTEETH AND GUMS TWICE TWICE a day! a day!

FLOSSFLOSS the teeth you want to the teeth you want to KEEP!KEEP!

See your dentist regularly for See your dentist regularly for check-ups!check-ups!