Successes and Challenges for Oral Health in Schools

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Successes and Challenges for Oral Health in
Schools
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Why work with Schools?

• Children and youth population
• Health and learning integrally linked
• Improving graduation rates cost effective ways to
  reduce health disparities
• When public health and education sectors work
  together academic achievement and health improves

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Helpful Resource

• How Schools Work How to Work with Schools A
  Primer for Professionals Who Serve Children
  Youth
• National Association of State Boards of Education

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Need for Oral Health

• It is estimated that 51 million school hours a
  year are lost due to oral health issues.
• Discomfort and self consciousness caused by oral
  health disease interferes with students ability
  to learn.
• Oral health concerns are the most common chronic
  disease in school aged children.

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• School nurses report students seek their help for
  a wide range of oral health issues
• Dental caries
• Tooth and oral pain
• Problems with oral piercings
• Orthodontic concerns
• Forty percent of school nurses report they
  encounter students who avoid smiling or laughing
  because of oral health problems.
•  

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School Nurses play a major rolein Oral Health

• School nurses coordinate oral health education
  for students, parents and school staff.
• They are a resource for teachers for oral health
  curricula

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• School nurses conduct or facilitate oral health
  screenings and dental caries prevention programs
• They also assist families in locating and
  accessing treatment for oral health disease or
  dental injuries

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School Nurse Survey

• 230 school nurses responded
• 60.9 did not provide oral health services
• 23.9 did provide oral health services
• 15.2 other
• Majority of the services provided were to
  elementary students

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Who is providing the care?

• Dental Hygienists provided 75 of the care
• Dentists were involved in 25
• Practitioners were from clinics, public health
  centers or other oral health programs

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Identified Benefits

• Access to preventive care
• Identifying a dental home
• Educate child about oral disease prevention
• Early identification of dental problems
• Increased knowledge by parents about the
  importance of oral health

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Challenges to providing oral health in schools

• Lack of community resources
• Sustainability
• Obtaining parental consent
• Time away from class
• Scheduling issues
• Space limitations

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Why not?

• Dont have the resources to add oral health
  services
• Dont have the time
• Lack of support from administration
• Students already have access to care
• Other priorities

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What would help?

• More community resources
• More parental support and better communications
• School support including additional staff time
• Better access to oral health providers in the
  community who will see students with dental needs

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Finding Allies in the schools

• School Nurse
• Wellness team or coordinator
• Parents
• Principal
• PTA, PTSA

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All it takes is a Champion!
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Resources

• NASN and DentaQuest http//www.oralhealthconnectio
  ns.org
• NASN Oral Health Forum
• oralhealth_at_lists.nasn.org

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Comprehensive Health Physical Education
Standards and Prepared Graduate Competencies
Movement Competency Understanding Physical Personal Wellness Emotional Social Wellness Prevention Risk Management
PE Motor Skills Patterns Movement Concepts Regular Physical Activity Health-Enhancing Fitness Level Responsible Respects Self and Others
Both Safety Injury Prevention
CHE Healthy Eating Healthy Relationships Sexual Reproductive Health Health Promotion Mental, Emotional, Social Well-being Healthy Decisions ATOD Prevention Healthy Relationships Violence Prevention
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Comprehensive Health Education Standards

• Standard 2. Physical and Personal Wellness in
  Health - Kindergarten
• Concepts and skills students master
• d. Explain positive outcomes from
• brushing and flossing teeth daily
• e. Demonstrate steps for proper brushing
• and flossing of teeth

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• Kathleen Patrick RN, MA, NCSN, FNASN
• Colorado Department of Education
• patrick_k_at_cde.state.co.us
• 303-866-6779