School Based Oral Health Program
School Based Oral Health Program
Toothaches keep children in pain and prevent them from learning and attending school. These kinds of problems are preventable and we can help! School based sealant programs, like Toothsavers, are proven to be very effective in reducing dental emergencies in children and increasing their oral health.
Toothsavers provides preventative oral health care services to children including: oral health screenings, sealants, fluoride application, and oral health education, all within WA state schools, during school hours. We provide services to Title I schools & schools with a free and reduced lunch rate of 50% or greater. All services are provided by a gentle and experienced Registered Dental Hygienist.
We are a school based program that focuses on creating affordable access to oral health care for children, at parents convenience. We bill to Apple Health for Kids/ Medicaid and we offer very reduced, affordable cash fees so that every child can receive the care they need. We do bill private insurance as well.
The day of, each child enrolled will be called from class to the health room for approximately 5 to 15 minutes to receive treatment.
*We provide NON OVERLAP dental services which are services that will not overlap with your insurance coverage at your dental office. Our school based services do not take the place of dental office visits. Your child should be visiting a dentist office for 6 month cleanings and treatment as necessary on a regular basis.
Each child will come home with:
Sealants are a safe, thin, clear, plastic type material that is placed into the deep grooves of the back teeth. Sealants create a shield over the tooth, which prevents bacteria from causing cavities. Each sealant takes approximately 1-3 minutes to place and is completely painless.
Efficient preventative and home care is key to having a healthy smile. Our experienced hygienist will review proper brushing and flossing techniques with each child, as well as nutritional advice.
Fluoride varnish is a mineral coating brushed onto the teeth to protect against cavities and make teeth stronger. Fluoride application only takes about 1-2 minutes and has been proven safe and effective. Children do not have to wait to eat or drink after varnish is applied.
Every Toothsavers care provider is required to:
☐ Wash/sanitize hands properly before and after every student visit
☐ Wear CDC recommended infection control PPE including gloves, masks etc.
☐ CDC spray/wipe/spray method on all touched equipment & surfaces with hospital grade disinfectant that kills 99.9% of all microorganisms and viruses.
☐ Provide each child with sanitized eye protection to wear ☐ Use individually wrapped sterile and disposable materials
☐ Only pre-packaged & individually wrapped prizes and toothbrushes will be given to students in a Ziploc bag.
☐ No aerosol production or procedures with risk of splatter will be performed.
☐ Any child with any signs of illness will be reported and taken to the school nurse immediately without rendering treatment.
Your child may qualify for free or reduced cost health/dental insurance through Apple Health of Washington (1-855- 923-4633) You may pay only what you can afford, even a minimum payment helps keep our programs going. We will not turn away a child if unable to pay.
Yes! In Spokane County, we are considered at higher risk for dental cavities because we do not have adequate amounts of fluoride in the water systems. Children are also considered at higher risk for cavities if they have a history of them. High cavity risk children should have 2-4 fluoride varnish applications in a year. Depending on the age, Medicaid pays for 2-3 fluoride varnish applications for each provider with a maximum of 9 fluorides a year so, they can be done both at your dental office and with Toothsavers.
Our staff has training with working with special needs patients and fearful patients. We will not force the children to do anything they are not comfortable with. We will stop at any time during a procedure if the child wants to stop. Our goal is to make dental care a positive and fun experience!
Our low cost uninsured fees are as follows:
Visual Oral Assessment=$10
Fluoride Varnish Application=$12
Sealants (per tooth)= $20
Our mission is to be able to keep these programs going in order to provide care to all students in need. We are happy to help set up payment plans if needed. We will not turn your child away if unable to pay.
Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) is effective for treatment of hypersensitivity, tooth decay and cavities. The California Dental Association reports that various “clinical studies unanimously confirm better caries arrest and/or prevention by silver diamine fluoride over control or other materials”. What is Silver Diamine Fluoride? Silver Diamine Fluoride is an FDA-approved antibiotic liquid clinically applied to control active dental caries and prevent further progression of disease.
Your child can still participate in the Toothsavers program at their neighborhood school. Just fill out the sign-up form and follow the directions there. You will need to contact us directly for an appointment.
Please contact the website email at info@toothsaversofwashington.com or call Amber Juliano RDH, BS at (509) 676-6060
Most schools are scheduled twice a year (6 months apart) . A few outer area schools are scheduled only one time in the Winter quarter.
There is no cost to the school
We need about 12 by 12 space with electrical outlets ( ie: empty classroom, stage, office area )
We will need a contact person at the school who can help set up the scheduled visits and reserve a space for us. This person will also help to get our consents to the teachers. We will either deliver the consent forms to you, or email them if you are out of our area. We also have online registration available.
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