Dental Program Serves More than 1,000

The Frisbie Memorial Hospital school-based dental program: Frisbie Smiles completed its sixteenth successful year this past June. The program continues to provide dental health education four times a year to first through third-grade classrooms. The services reach children in 11 schools in the three local towns of Rochester, Somersworth and Milton. In addition to four classroom visits, which focused on dental health and nutrition, the program continues to provide free dental screenings and in school preventative dental services, (cleanings, sealants and fluoride) to eligible children.

During the 2014-2015-school year, Frisbie Smiles provided four classroom-based dental health and nutrition lessons to 1,465 students of which early 1,090 students received free dental screenings; a two percent increase from last year.

Of the 1,090 students receiving free screenings, there were 76 students who were eligible for in-school preventative services, of which, 41 participated. Children receiving preventative dental services are referred to Goodwin Community Health for follow-up care. Goodwin Community Health is able to provide preventative dental services through an HNH Foundation grant, which covers 100 percent of the cost for restorative dental, care services. Unfortunately, many parents of those children referred to Goodwin Community Health do not follow through.

During the 2014-2015-school period, volunteers applied a total of 187 sealants to 24 students as a measure to prevent tooth decay. Data indicated that 20 percent of those screened had untreated decay, which is a 23 percent decrease since 2003. Since the program’s inception over sixteen years ago, there has been a steady decrease in the number of untreated decay reported as well as an increase in the number of children receiving dental sealants.

Although positive and optimistic, many children still lack adequate dental care.

“Frisbie Smiles is excited to be participating with Goodwin Health and hope that the parents of the children referred will take advantage of this great opportunity,” said Bambi Shorey, RDH and dental education coordinator of Frisbie Smiles.

“We are optimistic that these statistics reveal that more children in our community are receiving dental care and finding dental homes. Our goal continues to be one that focuses on improving the awareness of the importance of good dental health and overall heath through education and prevention,” added Shorey.