Student pearly whites shine bright

SUPERIOR – The smiles of county students were made a little brighter last week as local dentists came to Superior Elementary School and St. Regis School to do free cleanings.

The Make a Smile event was put on by the Mineral County Department of Health with the Sealants for Smiles, a statewide group that works to promote oral health and fight tooth decay in children. According to Bridgett Schrampfer, program coordinator of the group, the team will go to elementary schools all over Montana over the remainder of the school year.

One classroom in Superior Elementary School was converted for the dentist’s use. All the tables were pushed to one wall while equipment was set up by the room’s sink. As each child’s turn came up, they lay down on a table as the dentists looked their teeth over.

Barb Jasper, the nurse at Superior Elementary School, estimated they had 120 of the approximately 160 students receive cleanings and exams.

Dentists and dental assistants from Dr. Ordelheide’s office in Superior cleaned the teeth of each child. They also did a basic checkup to look for any issues. There was also an option for kids to receive fluoride treatment with their exam. If an issue was discovered, it was noted and reported to the child’s regular dentist as something to look into.

“If they do have an urgent need, we work really closely with the families to get them into care right away,” said Schrampfer. “That usually means calling them the day of and working with their local [dentist].”

Jasper was especially appreciative of Ordelheide’s office for the donation of their time.

Consent forms were sent home with children and included an offer to help enroll in programs to help with dentist checkups. Applications were available to be given to families who wanted to sign up for the programs.

The group started three years ago. Schrampfer said they started with two schools and quickly grew to 45 to 50 statewide. While every state has a program like Sealants for Smiles, each one runs differently. Schrampfer liked her group’s approach because the use of local dentists gave the children and families someone to come back to for continued care.

The eventual goal is to end tooth decay as a health risk in children. The group’s hope is to visit each elementary school in Montana.

“That’s the broader picture,” said Schrampfer. “End decay totally and ultimately that will end children missing school due to tooth problems.”

Schrampfer said the group’s goal was especially important because of the severity of the issue. She said oral health has been documented as one of the most common chronic diseases in children. It was cited more kids miss school from oral health problems than asthma or allergies.

The Sealants for Smiles team also made a stop at Alberton Public Schools on Thursday, January 23.