Health and Fitness : I Smile: School program may help pay for dental care for VS elementary students

As back-to-school time creeps closer, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) reminds parents that oral health is important for a child’s overall health and school readiness. While a bright smile is an attractive feature, research shows dental health has an impact far deeper than outward appearance. Tooth decay impacts a child’s ability to learn, speak, eat and sleep.

The best defense against tooth decay is prevention. A simple, cost-effective, and painless way to prevent decay is the use of dental sealants. “All at-risk elementary and middle school children should have dental sealants on permanent molars,” said IDPH I-Smile™ @ School program coordinator, Stephanie Chickering. “Eighty to 90 percent of dental decay in children ages 5 to 17 occurs on the chewing surfaces of teeth. Placing dental sealants on molar teeth significantly lowers the probability that decay in those teeth will occur.”

The I-Smile™ @ School program provides dental sealants, oral screenings, and fluoride varnishes in many Iowa elementary and middle schools at no cost to the student, family, or school. Contact your child’s school to see if the program is available.

The I-Smile™ @ School program is a part of IDPH’s I-Smile™ Dental Home Initiative, which helps Iowa's children connect with dental services. Using a team approach, dental hygienists serving as local I-Smile™ Coordinators partner with nurses and physicians to provide oral screenings, education, preventive services, and referrals to dentists, as needed. I-Smile™ Coordinators can help families find a dentist and also find resources to help pay for children’s dental care.

Vinton-Shellsburg Superintendent Mary Jo Hainstock says that the program is available to Tilford and Shellsburg Elementary students.

For more information about the I-Smile™ @ School program or to find an I-Smile™ Coordinator in your area, call 866-528-4020, or call VS Schools at 319-436-4728.