1. Harris County HCPHES Public Health & Environmental Services
Disease Control & Clinical Prevention Division Dental Health & Prevention Services

2. Dental Health Education/Promotion
A Population-based Outreach Program

3. Is Oral Health an Important Health Concern?
Cavities or Tooth Decay is 5 times as common as asthma and 7 times as common as hay fever.
Children and adolescents living in poverty suffer TWICE as much tooth decay as their affluent peers, and their disease is more likely to go untreated.

4. Why Teach Oral Health?
According to the Surgeon General’s Report on Oral Health, more than 51 MILLION SCHOOL HOURS are lost each year because of dental-related illness.
The daily reality for children with untreated oral disease is often persistent PAIN, inability to eat comfortably or chew well, embarrassment, and DISTRACTION FROM LEARNING.

5. Improve the QUALITY OF LIFE though Optimal ORAL HEALTH!
HEALTH EDUCATION:
The provision of health information to people in such a way that they apply it in everyday living.
HEALTH PROMOTION:
Actions that enable or empower individuals to improve their health.
Goal -
Improve the QUALITY OF LIFE though Optimal ORAL HEALTH! .

6. Effective Educational Programs:
Start education early and reinforce yearly
Encourage personal responsibility
Establish relationships with health professionals and school personnel
Utilize teachers and nurses as health educators
Lessons and take home materials cause a ripple effect with parents
Help parents to reinforce daily home care
Parents learn about effective dental health practices from children

7. HCPHES Dental Health Education/Promotion
16 Harris County school districts participated in the HCPHES Dental Health Education Program for the school year
Individual service, resources and consultations were provided to over 276 primary and elementary schools in Harris County
34 School-based Smile Saver Containers of educational materials/videotapes are located in 16 school districts in Harris County
Promotion of Harris County Clinics/Provision of Dental Referral Information
School Health Fairs and Community Events
Oral screenings
Summer reading program emphasizing oral health care in 25 Harris County Libraries

8. Is Oral Health a Concern of School Nurses?
We wanted to know…
so we asked…
YES - Oral health is a concern of school nurses and considered important for their student’s overall health
YES - The dental health resources and educational materials HCPHES provides are integral to each school’s program
YES - Oral health care is being taught to students by teachers, nurses and dental office staff

9. Educational Resources Help Nurses, Teachers and Families!
All schools reported that the resources provided by HCPHES were vitally important to their school’s oral health programs.
Our department also promotes the FREE Crest and Colgate programs as additional educational resources. The link to these resources are on our website.
71% of schools order the Crest Program
for 1st grade
52% of schools order the Colgate Program
for Kindergarten

10. PROGRAM RESULTS…. Effective Strategies Overcome
PROGRAM RESULTS… Effective Strategies Overcome Barriers to Dental Health Education!
Utilizing grade level educational packets for easy use and access by teachers and nurses
“In district” locations for easy utilization of materials
Using various types of educational resources
Including parent information for home re-enforcement
Program adaptation utilizing school nurse feedback
Establishing personal relationships with nurses
Orienting new nurses at the beginning of their first semester to HCPHES resources, services and referral information
Providing Professional, Quality Service with a SMILE!

11. In Conclusion…
Community support was overwhelming for the HCPHES dental education/promotion program – a 77% response rate with participation from 16 school districts representing all socioeconomic groups.
School Nurses agree that dental health education impacts the oral health practices of students and their families and the resources and services provided by HCPHES are appreciated and utilized.
School Nurses agree that oral health care is valuable to include in health fairs, parenting programs and in hygiene/growth and development classes.

12. You Can’t Be Healthy Without Good ORAL HEALTH!

13. See your dentist regularly for check-ups!
For Good Oral Health…
BRUSH Your TEETH AND GUMS TWICE a day! FLOSS the teeth you want to KEEP!
See your dentist regularly for check-ups!