School Oral Health Program Question And Answers

School Oral Health Program

Question 1. Write short note on school health program.
Or
Write short note on school dental health program.
Or
Write in brief on school dental health program.
Or
Write short note on school dental health programs.
Answer. School health is an important aspect of any community health program.

School health services are defined as “procedures established.

• To appraise the health status of pupils and school personnel.
• To council pupils, parents and other concerning appraisal findings.
• To encourage the correction of remediable defects.
• To assist in the identification and education of handicapped children.
• To help prevent and control disease.
• To provide emergency service for injury or sudden sickness” The committee on terminology of the American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation in 1951.

Objectives of School Health Program

• Helps the school child in appreciating the importance of healthy mouth.
• Helps the school child to appreciate the relationship of dental health to general health and the appearance.
• Encourage observance of dental health practices.
• Enlist all groups and agencies which are interested in promotion of school health.
• Correlate dental health services with total school health program.
• Stimulate development of resources to make dental care available to children and youth.
• Stimulate dentists to perform proper health services for children.

Read And Learn More: Public Health Dentistry Question And Answers

Ideal Requirements of School Health Program

Following are the ideal requirements of school health program:

• It should be administratively sound.
• It should be available to all children.
• It should provide all facts about dentistry.
• It should aid in development of favorable attitude toward dental health.
• It should provide the environment for development of psychomotor skills which are essential for toothbrushing as well as flossing.
• It should include primary preventive dentistry, program prophylaxis, fluoride programs.
• It should give screening methods for early identification and referral to pathology.

Components of School Dental Health Programme

Following are the components of school oral health program:

• Improving school community relations
  • In this first of all advisory committee is formed.
  • It consists of broad representation from parents, teachers, school administrators, dental professionals and community leaders.
• Conducting dental inspections
  When the dental diseases in school children found to be 95% a school dental programme should be conducted.
• Conducting dental health education
  • School dental health program consists of a formal approach to teaching dental health in classroom.
  • Dentist should strengthen teacher’s classroom instructions.
  • A sincere attention is paid by the dentist toward the teacher.
  • Self contained dental health kit for the teacher education as well as presentation of concepts of basic health should be make available to each school.
• Performing specific programs
  • Various programs should be performed which are:
    • Toothbrushing program
    • Classroom based fluoride program
      • Fluoride mouthrinse program
      • Fluoride tablet program
    • School water fluoridation program
• Referral for dental care
  • In very few schools dental care is provided in the school.
  • If only emergency treatment is provided and parents does not see child in pain they conclude that school has taken good care of dental problem.
  • Parents should be informed that emergency treatment is not the cure and they will have to visit the dentist of their choice for proper treatment.
• Follow-up
  • Correction of problems should be done from school and this should need a strong follow-up system.
  • Dental hygienist should conduct such follow ups.
  • Concession should be given to children from school.

Dental Health Program Advantages

• Children are available for preventive or treatment procedure.
• School clinics are less threatening then private offices.
• A school dental program facilitates central education on dental subjects.
• Early diagnosis and prompt treatment of disease.

Dental Health Program Limitations

• Children receive the benefit of school water fluoridation only when they enter the school age.
• Children consume water only when school is in session.
• As compared to homes the children drink less amount of water in school.

Question 2. Write in detail on school dental health programs its guidelines and limitations. Highlight on school water fluoridation.
Answer.

Guidelines on School Dental Health Programs

Following are the guidelines of school health program:

• It should be administratively sound.
• It should be available to all children.
• It should provide all facts about dentistry.
• It should aid in development of favorable attitude toward dental health.
• It should provide the environment for development of psychomotor skills which are essential for toothbrushing as well as flossing.
• It should include primary preventive dentistry, program prophylaxis, fluoride programs.
• It should give screening methods for early identification and referral to pathology.

Limitations of School Dental Health Program

• Children receive the benefit of school water fluoridation only when they enter the school age.
• Children consume water only when school is in session.
• As compared to homes the children drink less amount of water in school.
• There should be need for cooperation from school authorities.
• Children may not attend school all the days

School Water Fluoridation

• By this the fluoride is available to children in optimal amount.
• Amount of the fluoride which is added in the drinking water is more as compared to community water supply.
• Currently recommended level of fluoride is 4.5 to 6.3 ppm of fluoride in school water supply.
• The concentration of fluoride in water is 4.5 times more, because the children remain in school for short time and also consume less water.
• School water fluoridation provides topical effects on erupting teeth.
• It prevents dental caries in school children.

Dental Health Program Advantages

• Effective method
• Targets only school children
• It is economical

Dental Health Program Disadvantages

• There should be need for cooperation from school authorities.
• Children may not attend school all the days.
• Intermittent fluoride exposure is present.
• Preeruptive benefits are less.

Question 3. Give an account of various school dental health activities executed in different parts of the world for preservation of oral health.
Answer. Following are the various school dental health activities executed in different parts of the world for preservation of oral health:

Oral Health Program for School Children in MECCA

In 2003, an oral health education program for school children in the Holy City of Mecca was initiated as a joint venture between the Specialist Dental Center of Alnoor Specialist Hospital and the Directorate of Education in Mecca city.

Aim

The program was aimed at school children attending the third and fourth primary classes (8–l0 years old).

Oral Health Procedure

• A group of school boys and a teacher visited the Dental Centre once a week to receive a comprehensive oral health education package.
• A clinic in the Specialist Dental Centre with a dentist and a dental hygienist carried out the program.
• The visit started with a tour around the Center for thechildren and their teacher so as to introduce to the group to different dental specialties. Then the dentist presented the oral health education program in the form of clinical demonstration, discussions and tooth brushing instructions.
• The children and the teacher were given oral health information sheets and in addition, they also received a gift package consisting of tooth brush, paste and a cup.
• At the end of the session which lasts about 3 hours, the children and their teachers were awarded certificates signed by the Director of the Dental Centre. A total of about 350 school children participated in this program during 2003–2004.

Smiling Schools Project in Namibia

• The project was funded by government of Namibia and WHO. Even though caries among Namibian children is still low (DMFT 12-year-old 1.2 in 1991) many communities were being exposed more to caries causing factors.
• Caries prevalence increased rapidly with age particularly in the urban population. Therefore, there is an urgent need for influencing the oral health habits of the general population, especially the children, who can be educated in correct oral health measures that would prevent the onset of caries and gum diseases.
• The project was implemented first in three schools.
• Toothbrushes were provided to schools and sold to children.
• Toothpaste was not used during brushing sessions at school, but children were encouraged to use fluoride toothpaste at home.
• Two oral health monitors/class were trained and tooth brushing sessions were carried out during breaks under their supervision six times every month. 50–95% of the children participated.

Achievements

• 65 smiling schools were established all over the country during the period 1996–1998.
• 19 facilitators (regional dentist and oral hygienist) from 10 regions were trained.
• 169 teachers were trained where 51,038 primary school children were covered by the program (nearly 13% of the Namibian primary school population).
• 36 nurses from 8 regions were trained.

Dental Public Health Programs in Seychelles

• The national school oral health program was started in 1998 to date.
• Personnel involved were dental therapists with assistance of school staff.
• Target are all children of state schools.
• Primary goal is to raise the oral health status of school children (i.e. improve oral hygiene and decrease level of dental caries in that population group).

Objectives

• To reduce sugar intake in the group (in terms of both amount and frequency) to a level compatible with oral health.
• Give optimal fluoride exposure.
• To reduce overall amount of plaque accumulation in the group
• Ensure optimal use of dental service.

Main Components

• Dental examination of all the children with follow up appointments for necessary treatment.
• Weekly fluoride mouth rinse, and dental health education, individually or as a group at school.

School-based Oral Health Education Program in China

The Hubei Province Committee for Oral Health together with the WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Oral Health Programs and Research, University of Copenhagen, Denmark in 1998 conducted projects in primary schools in Wuhan City, China.

Background and Rationale

Oral health education to school children is given high priority in China. Nation-wide campaign, the ‘Love Teeth Day’, has been conducted annually since 1989 and its success em-phasizes the commitment of China to oral health promotion. Systematic school-based oral health education programs however was yet to be established at national levels. Hence, this demonstration project was implemented in 1998 in the Hongshan District of Wuhan City, Hubei Province, Central China. The fluoride content of drinking water in this district was low (0.2 ppm) and dental care was available from one hospital only.

Project Outlines

• Six primary schools were chosen randomly from this district, i.e three experimental and three control schools with three years follow-up.
• A total of 404 grade I children and 33 teachers and 399 grade 1 children and 336 teachers (740 children and 369 teachers’) were included in the experimental and control groups respectively.
• The experimental schools applied the EVHO Health Promoting Schools Project concepts throughout the three year period.
• Teachers received oral health education training through workshops conducted by district education officers and dentists.
• Classroom-based oral health education, focus on diet and nutrition, and integration of oral health into general health and school education activities.
• Students took part in daily oral hygiene instructions by teachers.
• Mothers were encouraged to be present during these sessions.
• Tooth brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste was recommended.
• Monthly oral hygiene education was part of the curriculum.
• Throughout the project, public health dentists supervised activities in schools.

Conclusion

The program had a positive effect in relation to oral health behavior and education but no improvement on caries situation was demonstrated.

School Oral Health Program in Kuwait

• In 1982 Forsyth Research Institute was invited by Ministry of Health (MOH), Quwait to study the oral health needs of Kuwaitis.
• Subsequently in 1983 Forsyth Research Institute was asked to plan a model school oral health program catering to the oral health needs of Kuwaiti school children of Capital Governorate.
• In the same year 10 Kuwaiti dentists were trained at Forsyth Research Institute and later worked in the Program at Capital region.
• School Oral Health Program, Kuwait-Forsyth is a comprehensive oral health program serving to the oral health needs of Kuwaiti school children.
• It is the program with preventive, treatment and health educational components.
• The main area of concentration is primary prevention that is prevention of the disease before its onset.
• This program is one of the rare national school-based programs in the world and only one of its kinds in the middle-east where the need for this kind of a program is immense.

Goal

To achieve optimum oral health to the maximum number of children by a comprehensive oral care approach- education, attention and treatment.

Objectives

• Increase the proportion of children benefiting from the Program every year.
• Increase the proportion of children receiving preventive oral health care every year to achieve 90% coverage with prevention by the year 2010.
• Increase awareness about the importance of oral health among school children, parents and teachers.
• Reduce the proportion of children with untreated dental decay to minimal.
• Increase the proportion of caries free children in permanentand primary dentitions.

School Oral Health Program in India

• The Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures oral health educational program worldwide was developed to teach children oral health habits of basic hygiene, diet and physical activity.
• This program encourages dentists, public health officials, civic leaders and, most importantly, parents and educators to come together to realize the importance of oral health as part of a child’s overall physical and emotional development.
• This program is conducted by Colgate-Palmolive, India for children in primary schools who receive instructions in dental care from members of the dental profession and Indian Dental Association, Education is imparted with the aid of audiovisuals and printed literature.
• Free dental healthcare packs, comprising 1 toothbrushand 1 toothpaste pack, are also distributed to encourage good oral hygiene.
• Under this program, since 1976 over 83 million school children in rural and urban parts of the country, in the age group of 6–12 years have been reached out.

Learning About Your Oral Health

This oral health program was developed by American Dental Association [ADA] and its consultants in 1971. It was a comprehensive program covering school children (pre-school, primary and secondary).

Aim

• To develop adequate plaque control skills and knowledge among school children.
• To increase knowledge regarding diet and dental health.
• To stress upon the relationship between sugars and starch with dental caries.
• Importance of role of dental professional.
• Significance of fluoride and relationship of oral health with total health.

Program Implementation

It was implemented in 5 levels with each level having defined care material.

The levels are divided by grade:

• Preschool (children too young to read)
• Level 1 (kindergarten through grade 3)
• Level 2 (grades 4 through 6)
• Level 3 (grades 7 through 9)
• Level 4 (grades 10 through 12)

Evaluation of Program

• Evaluation for the program was carried out by Dr Oliver L Ezell in 1974; second investigation was carried out by Dr. Donald B
• Stone and colleagues in 1975 which evaluated the cognitive aspects of ADA s level II programs. A third evaluation was carried out by Peterson and Rubinson which were reported in 1982 to determine the effects of the ADA level IV school programs on the knowledge, attitude, practices and dental health status of high school students.

Askov Dental Health Program

• Askov is a small farming community in Minnesota of Danish people.
• Initial surveys performed in 1943 and 1946 showed a very high incidence of dental caries.
• Minnesota Health Department in 1949–1957 supervised a demonstration School Dental Health Program in Askov including caries prevention and control, dental health education and dental care.
• All accepted methods for caries prevention were used in demonstration with the exception of communal water fluoridation.
• Dental findings were available through a 10-year period which includes:
• A 28% reduction in dental caries in deciduous teeth of 3 to 5 years old
• A 34% reduction in caries in permanent teeth of children 6 to 12-year-old.
• A 14% reduction in children 13 to 14 year old.

School Health Additional Referral Program (SHARP)

• This program was carried out in Philadelphia with the purpose of motivating parents in initiating action for correction of defects in children by effective utilization of the community resources.
• This program was carried out by the district nurses by the cooperation of school nurses.
• Nurses undergo daytime visits to the families in which mothers will remain at home.
• Working parents were contacted by calling them on phone.
• This one to one basis of the health guidance between the parent and the health worker establish better rapport between school as well as home.

Question 4. Write short note on incremental dental care.
Answer. It may be defined as “periodic care so spaced that increments of dental disease are treated at the earliest time consistent with proper diagnosis and operating efficiency, in such a way that there is no accumulation of dental needs beyond the minimum”.

Incremental Dental Care Advantages

• It is supposed to avoid high expenditure for initial dental care.
• It confines dental diseases to small yearly increments, thus reducing loss of teeth.
• It is supposed to inculcate a habit of periodic visit to dentaloffice in subsequent years.
• Limits the spread of the disease for example dental caries is treated in initial stages and prevents the involvement of pulp.

Incremental Dental Care Disadvantages

• Attention to deciduous teeth: Importance of deciduous teeth is known but few will assign them a value as great as that of permanent dentition.
• Conservative dentistry is more time consuming on a piece meal basis than upon a wholesale basis. The idea is that large operative programs can be handled on the quadrant basis under local anesthesia. This makes for rapid cavity preparation and easy isolation of teeth filling procedures. More number of teeth can be filled in time required for only 1–2 teeth if these are scatter in various parts of the mouth.
• A major drawback is that it is usually made to implement the care program at the earliest available age, which coincides with entry of a child into some public health or school health program. The result is that financial resources are usually exhausted even before the elementary school population has been cared for and the high school child receives no maintenance care at all. It is concluded from various studies given limited resources young children should not be sole focus or recipients of the programs but the teenagers should be given at least equal consideration.
• It is often seen that children no longer carry on with habits taught to them by parents and teachers during childhood into similar adult habits of their own. They must be motivated with time and again. Teenagers can be reached by reasons much better than young children.

Question 5. Write short note on comprehensive dental care.
Or
Write short note on comprehensive dental health care.
Answer. Term comprehensive dental care was first used by Bhore committee in 1946.

Bohre committee meant provision of integratedpreventive, curative and promotive health services from “WOMB to TOMB” to every individual residing in a defined geographical area.

Comprehensive dental care is the meeting of accumulated dental needs at the time a population group is taken into the program and the detection and correction of new increments of dental disease on the semiannual or other periodic basis.

Preventive measures aimed to minimize disease are a part of comprehensive dental care.

Dental Services in Comprehensive Dental Care

In comprehensive dental care services are given, which are as follows:

• Provide maintenance care for control of early lesions of dental disease.
• Replace the missing teeth.
• Restore serviceable teeth to good functional form.
• Provide preventive measures, educational and otherwise so that population may experience lower prevalence of disease.

Manpower in Comprehensive Dental Care

Services can be provided by:

• General dentist
• Specialized dentists who have a particular responsibility for those procedures unique to his speciality.
• Dental auxiliaries provide dentist an assistance to increase his productivity and efficiency.

Prerequisites for Comprehensive Dental Care

• Attitude of a patient and a provider can be friend, savior, servant, addresser.
• Adequate set up can be accomplished through either solo or group care.
• Commitment from the providers, patients and thecommunity.

Question 6. Define school health services. State different aspects of school health services with its objectives and advantages.
Answer. School health services are defined as the “procedures established.

• To appraise the health status of pupils and school personnel.
• To counsel pupils, parents and others concerning appraisal findings.
• To encourage the correction of remediable defects.
• To assist in the identification and education of handicapped children.
• To help prevent and control the disease and
• To provide emergency service for injury or sudden sickness”.
  By The committee on terminology of the American association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation 1951

Aspects of School Health Services

Following are the aspects of school health services:

• Health appraisal
• Health counseling
• Emergency care and first aid
• School health education
• Maintenance of school health records
• Curative services.

Health Appraisal

• It is defined as “the process of determining the total health status of the child through such means as health history, teacher and nurse observations, screening test; and medical, dental and psychological examinations”.
• Teachers have good interaction with students as compared to physician and dentists.
• Periodic dental examination should be done by school via a program of education for child as well as parents.
• Program should explain the benefits of dental prevention and long term oral hygiene practice.

Health Counseling

• It is defined as “the procedure by which nurse, teachers, physician, guidance personnel and others interrupt to pupils and the parents, the nature and significance of health problem and aid them in formulating the plan of action which will lead to solution of the problem”.
• Sales of candy and sweetened beverages should be strictly prohibited in the school.

Emergency Care and First Aid

• As teachers are the one who first realize about the emergency in school, so they should be trained in handling the emergencies in school, e.g. traumatic injury to teeth during sports.
• Dental and school administration should make out the policies which deal with dental emergencies in school hours.

School Health Education

• School health education is the process which provides learning experience for purpose of influencing knowledge, attitude or conduct relating to the individual or community health.
• School health education should cover personal hygiene, environmental health and family life.

Maintenance of School Health Records

School health record analyzes and evaluates school health programmes and provide useful link between the home, school and community.

Curative Services

It consists of regular dental check up and treatment wherever possible and referral for special problems.

Objectives of School Health Services

Following are the objectives of school health services:

• To help every school child appreciate the importance of healthy mouth.
• To help every school child to appreciate the relationship of dental health to general health and appearance.
• For encouraging the observance of dental health practices which also include personal care, professional care, proper diet and oral habits.
• For enlisting aid of all groups and agencies which areinterested in promotion of school health.
• To correlate dental health activities with total school health program.
• To stimulate development of resources for making dental care available to all children and youth.
• For stimulating dentists to perform adequate health services for children.

Advantages of School Health Services

• School dental health programs can bring comprehensive dental care, including preventive measures to pupils in school. This is mostly advantageous in areas where dentists are not present.
• School clinics are more friendly and less threatening as compared to the private clinics.
• Daily contact of children with dental personnel in other roles in school put a positive lasting effect in child’s attitude towards dentistry.
• A regular dental check ups in early life is continued after school age.
• School dental health programs with general health programme facilitate valuable consultation on medico – dental problems.
• School dental health programs are very economical for parents of school children as compared to treatment in private clinic.
• If dental auxiliaries are used, further costing decreases.
• Health of the school staff, families and community members is enhanced by programs conducted in schools.

Question 7. Write short note on Tattle-tooth programme.
Answer. Tattle tooth programme was developed in year 1974 – 1976 as a cooperative effort between Texas Dental Health Professional Organization, The Texas Department of Health and The Texas Education Agency through a grant from the Department of Health and Human Services to the Bureau of Dental Health.

• Pilot study was done in 1975 and field testing in spring 1976 in schools in state of Texas.
• In 1989, Bureau of Dental Health developed a new program for replacing existing Tattle tooth program. Now it is known as Tattle tooth II – A new generation for grades K – 6.
• Separate lesson plans were formulated to each grade and a systemic approach was used to develop all educational data.
  • Three videotapes were produced as part of teacher – training package.
  • First video tape familiarizes the teachers with thelesson format and content.
  • A second video tape, “Brushing and Flossing” was developed for teacher training and educational unit to be used by teacher and students.
  • Third videotape provides the teachers with additionalbackground information as a means of preparing them to teach lesson.
  • Materials which were developed to aid in implementation of program consists of a brochure which provides overview of program and a school nurse brochure.

Program Philosophy and Goals

• Program embraces six elements of effective lesson design; anticipatory set, setting the objective, input modeling, checking for understanding, guided practice and independent practice.
• Basic goal of program is to reduce the dental disease and develop positive dental habits to last a lifetime.

Implementation of Program

• Texas department of health employs 16 hygienists in eight public health regions to implement the Tattletooth program.
• Hygienists instruct the teachers using videotapes designed to teacher training and provide them with a copy of curriculum.
• Health promotion activities are encouraged and publicizedwithin school community
• Teachers should be encouraged to invite dental professional for demonstration of brushing and polishing in classroom.
• Fieldtrip of dental office is must for kindergarten children.
• Bulletin board suggestion, a book list, films and videotapes are available on free loan for appropriate guide levels.
• Other resources used are a list of companies providing supplementary classroom resources and a comprehensive glossary of vocabulary words written for teacher in English or Spanish which are used in all grade levels.

Programme Evaluation

• Students in grades 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 were given in Texas assessment of Academic Skills by Texas Education agency, to satisfy the legislative requirement that student performance be assessed.
• Evaluation of teachers is done annually by principals and supervisors using a 65 item checklist.

Results of Tattletooth Program

• Dental health knowledge was significantly increased at all grade levels.
• Plaque levels decreases to 15% in selected sample of 2142 children.
• 80% of teachers judged program to be helpful as well as effective but evaluation questions suggested that they feel a need for additional technical help in brushing and flossing.

Results of Tattletooth 2

• Teacher-student interaction was present as a result of the format.
• Student responses to the curriculum were positive or very positive.
• 94% of teachers felt that teaching oral health put positive effect on children dental health habits.
  Moreover, majority of teachers did not provide students the opportunity to practice skills of brushing and flossing. This is so because Tattletooth program did not provide toothbrushes and floss.

Question 8. Write short answer question on school health additional referral programme (SHARP).
Answer. This program was started in Philadelphia to motivate the parents into initiating action for correcting the defects in their children via effective utilization of community resources.

• This project was carried out by district nurses with corporation of school personnel.
• Here nurses undergo day time visits to the families in which mothers reside at home.
• Working parents should be contacted on phone.
• One to one basis of health guidance between both the parent and the health worker establish better rapport between school and the home.

Question 9. What is blanket referral.
Answer. A program which is proved to be effective in multiple schools is ‘blanket’ referral of all children to their family dentists. In this all children should be given referral cards to carry home and subsequently to the dentist, who sign cards on completion of examination, treatment or both of them.

Signed cards are now returned to school nurse or the classroom teacher who plays an important role in following referrals with both child as well as patients.

Question 10. Write long answer on school dental health programmes in India. 
Answer. Following are the school dental health programmes in India:

• “Young India” bright smiles, bright futures (Running)
• Chacha Nehru Sehat Yojna—school health scheme—Government of Delhi (Running)
• Neev—School Oral Health Program (proposed)
• Intensive Dental Health Care Program—Punjab (Unknown)
• Trinity Care Foundation—Bengaluru (Running)
• National Oral Health Programme, AIIMS (Running)

Indian Dental Association (IDA)—Colgate’s “Young India” Bright Smiles, Bright Futures School Dental Health Education Program

• A collaborative effort of IDA and Colgate—Palmolive started in 1976 to deliver oral health education to children. One campaign for school oral health promotion was launched in Agra, 2001.
• This program is specially designed to help educate school going children about basic rules of oral care using professional dentists.
• Children were taught good oral hygiene habits and the right techniques of brushing along with use of a tooth model and a toothbrush the importance of night brushing via an interactive module, where importance of good mouth cleaning regimen is strongly instilled in them.
• Educative module consists of a distribution of “Dental Health Pack” and training of teachers to instill good oral health practices.
• The program until now has covered 145+ million children in urban and rural India till December 2017.

(Chacha Nehru Sehat Yojna) School Health Scheme – Government of Delhi

• Directorate of Health Services, Government of Delhi, started this scheme in 1979 with six school health clinics, initially, to provide comprehensive health-care services to the school going children.
• It was expanded during the 7th five-year plan, and 64 school clinics were opened.
• Dental component of school health scheme is looked by two government hospitals, i.e Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences and DDU hospital which conducts regular screening programs and also serves as referral centers.
• Among the proposed programs, “Neev-SOHP” would be initiated across government schools run by Government of NCT of Delhi, in Delhi state, as a pilot project.
• Mobile dental van would be utilized after drafting a district plan, and public schools will be covered all through the year.
• At present, project is under review by the Department of Health and Family Welfare and is supported by School Health Scheme, Government of India.

Intensive Dental Health Care Program—Punjab

• This program was started in Punjab in the year 1989–1990.
• Under the current program, schools are covered subdivision wise.
• Each sub-division further consists of blocks, and after completing all the schools in the block, program moves towards the next sub-division.
• In addition to the impart Dental Health Education toschool children and detailed oral health check-up, each child should be given fluoride mouth rinse to arrest the initiation as well as progress of dental caries, and this process is repeated after every 6 months.
• Children suffering from dental diseases should be provided necessary dental treatment at the mobile dental clinic vans.
• Current status of the program is not known, and no consolidated reports are published after the year 2011.

Trinity Care Foundation—Bengaluru

• Trinity Care Foundation is basically a registered public charitable trust under the Indian Trusts Act. It conducts outreach programs and school health programs in Bengaluru and nearby areas.
• This harbors vision and provides pre-screening of studentsfor height, weight, skin, eye, dental, cardiac, caries, oral lesions, facial deformities, etc.
• Along with this, it focuses over the training of teachers and imparting awareness on the health issues, ill effects of tobacco and tooth brushing techniques to students in government schools.

Pit and Fissure Sealant Pilot Project—National Oral Health Programme (NOHP), AIIMS, New Delhi

• Under the central component of NOHP, current pit and fissure sealant project have been launched, for which training of representatives from 12 dental colleges was done on May 1, 2017.
• The project is in the execution stages by these dental colleges, who have to seal 5000 molar teeth per college.