Good oral health means more than healthy teeth. Your ‘oral cavity’ is the name for everything inside your mouth: teeth, gums, cheeks, tongue, and throat.
Good oral health means that:
Teeth have strong enamel to protect them;
Any caries (teeth cavities) are filled;
Gums are healthy, with no pain, sores or bright red areas;
Other parts of the mouth are free of sores and pain;
Any birth defects, such as cleft lip or palate, or other disorders of the
mouth have been treated.
Good oral health is very important for a person’s overall health.
What we do for oral health
The BRDHD Mighty Molar Dental Service brings basic dental care to children and pregnant women where they are: in schools, day cares, Head Start, the Health Department, and even the Ob-GYN office.
Exams– Our dental exams are provided by a partner Dentist, who writes up a treatment plan for our Dental Hygienists to carry out. This may be done during the same visit, or on another visit over the next seven months.
Cleaning and Fluoride – The dentist’s treatment plan usually starts with a thorough cleaning to remove plaque and tartar that has built up on the teeth. Then the Dental Hygienist treats the teeth with Fluoride. Fluoride is a natural substance that is really good at protecting teeth from decay (cavities).
Fluoride Varnish – For children under age 10. Varnish may be applied by our Dental Hygienists, by trained nurses in BRDHD clinics, or by our School Nurses.
Sealants – This is a hard plastic coating that is applied by a Dental Hygienist, beginning about age 7, or as soon as the molars (back teeth) begin to come in. It is a very strong material to prevent cavities on the chewing part of a child’s molars (back teeth). We normally apply sealants to children in 2nd and 7th grades.
Fluoride Treatment – After a cleaning, the Hygienist will use a gel or liquid fluoride to coat the teeth, and let it stay on for a half hour to soak in. This is done for adults or children. You are never too old for fluoride treatment!
X-Rays - On some visits to schools or other locations, we will have our X-Ray equipment to take a closer look at your teeth. These X-rays are ordered and read by the partner dentist, who uses them to decide on the patient’s treatment plan.
Treatment - Most treatment services are provided at the partner dentist’s office, or by the patient’s family dentist.
Education - We teach kids and parents how to brush and floss their teeth daily, and why it is so important. We teach them why it is important to see a dentist at least twice a year. Some children or parents will get group education on how teeth grow, how cavities are formed, and how to have the best oral health possible.
Parent permission - Parents must give written permission before we can see children. Before we visit a school, day care, Head Start, or other location, their staff help us by sending home our permission forms, and asking parents to return them. Some locations will ask parents to sign these forms at the beginning of the school year, just as we do for School Nurse services. Without this written permission, we cannot see your child!
Meet our team!
Stacy Trowbridge, R.D.H. is our Dental Services, Branch Director
Angie Smith, R.D.H. is our second Dental Hygienist
Emily Schlafke,
R.D.H.
is our third Dental Hygienist
Health Educators from the BRDHD Community Health promotion branch provide some group education in school or community settings.
Jason Coomer, D.M.D is a community Dentist who serves as the BRDHD Dental Director
Access to care
Many people in the eight BRDHD counties do not have access to regular dental services. Many cannot afford to see a Dentist, and do not have dental insurance. Some people do not have transportation. Others might have Medicaid, which covers many dental services, but they cannot find a Dentist who takes the Medicaid Card.
The BRDHD Dental Services Branch was formed to increase the number of Access Points for dental care, to help more people get basic treatment and education. We see all patients regardless of ability to pay. How can we afford this? We bill Medicaid for all covered individuals, and try to stretch our funding from other sources. The services does not try to compete with community Dentists, but to partner with them.
Community education
In Kentucky, one of our biggest oral health problems is lack of understanding about the importance of good oral health, of good personal oral hygiene practices, and of seeing a dentist regularly. Many people, even with dental insurance, simply do not see a dentist often enough. BRDHD staff in every discipline have pledged to step up their educational efforts about oral health and regular dental care.
We welcome the partnership of all dental health professionals in our service area, to help improve access to care, and to help us provide education to residents of all ages. We invite other organizations, employers, and business partners to join us in educating our citizens on how and why oral health is so important.
