Sealant Day

For many years GHDHS has designated two Saturdays in February to provide free dental services to underprivileged children.  This event is held in honor of National Children’s Dental Health Month.  Please help us keep the tradition alive by volunteering just a couple of hours of your time.

            Saturday, February 21, 2004 will be “Brush-In Day” (child prophys and hygiene instructions) and  
Saturday, February 28, 2004 will be “Sealant Day.”

Sealants will be applied on  children  screened the previous week.  Both events will be at the San Jose Dental Clinic downtown.  To volunteer for San Jose Clinic Days,
contact the   Dental Health Chairperson
Holly Koehn, RDH: 
713-880-1944
hollsmi@hotmail.com
to sign up at the January for February meetings.

2003 Sealants Across Texas

The Texas Dental Hygienists' Association (TDHA) is dedicated to delivering quality dental hygiene services to the citizens of Texas. Each year, licensed, registered dental hygienists from across the state volunteer to provide dental sealants to children in under-served populations. Dental sealants are thin, plastic coatings that are applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth to prevent tooth decay (cavities). When applied properly by licensed dental professionals, sealants are 95% effective in eliminating tooth decay. The plastic resin bonds into the pits and fissures of the chewing surface creating a barrier so that bacteria that cause tooth decay cannot attack the tooth enamel. The use of fluoride and dental sealants are the main preventive services that dental hygienists use everyday to help children keep healthy mouths. 

In 2003, a total of 13 dental sealant projects were conducted throughout Texas in: Arlington, Austin, Belton, Big Spring, Bryan, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Harlingen, Houston, Lewisville, Lake Jackson, San Antonio, and Tyler.  Other dental services provided by registered dental hygienists included: cleanings (prophylaxes), x-rays, fluoride treatments and oral hygiene instructions. All children initially received an exam by a volunteer dentist to identify which teeth were “at-risk" for cavities. The success of Sealants Across Texas is due to the sincere volunteers and especially our corporate sponsor, Dentsply International.

The project goals were:

·         To promote the benefits of dental sealants,

·         To promote the long term benefits of oral hygiene education,

·         To increase community awareness of the importance of preventive oral health care, and

·         To reach children in under-served populations.

The data collected was:

Total number of dental sealant projects conducted:                           13 

Total number of children screened:                                                  906   

Total number of teeth sealed:                                                          3,390         

Total number of children receiving cleaning:                                      28     

Approximate cost of donated services:                                                     $143,651.00