Dental Hygienist on Wheels Increasing Dental Hygiene Access and Prevention to Summer School Migrant Children

Alternative Dental Hygiene of California, Inc. has expanded its preventive dental hygiene services to migrant children in Lamont.

Bakersfield, CA (PRWEB) June 20, 2006 -- Alternative Dental Hygiene of California, Inc. provided preventive dental hygiene services to summer school migrant children at Lamont School in Lamont, Ca, 164 students received dental screenings provided to them by volunteer dentists, Dr. Melissa Primus and Dr. Bradley Dickens.

Each child was given an oral hygiene kit donated by Amanda Adamson RDA, Dental Health Project Specialist, Kern County Department of Public Health CHDP program, which included a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss and oral health education information in English and Spanish. Each child was given a follow-up letter to take home to his parent/guardian with the results of the screening, preventive services provided and a list of dentists whom treat this vulnerable population. Sandra Magee RDH, BS, RDHAP Founder-President of Alternative Dental Hygiene of California Inc., a tax exempt non-profit, provided oral health education, toothbrush instructions, teeth cleaning, fluoride treatments and sealants, when appropriate, to 67 children in need of preventive dental hygiene service. There was no cost to the school or parent/guardian of the children.

On Monday, the same services were made available to the migrant students at Myrtle Avenue School whom returned a positive permission slip and medical history signed by their parent/guardian. Our Kids First(AP) program will be offered again at this same location Thursday and Friday June 20-21, 2006 from 8:30 am til 11:30 am.

Dental decay is the most common preventable chronic disease in the United States. Every year, 51 million school hours are lost due to dental disease. Alternative Dental Hygiene of California, Inc.(ADHC) is addressing the access to preventive dental care problem by promoting its programs, like dental sealants, for children in second and sixth grade to help prevent occlusal dental decay. It is better utilization of tax dollars by investing in low-cost prevention versus high-cost treatment in schools and raise public awareness by distributing infomation about the importance of oral health. "There is a high demand for oral health professionals to provide access to dental care in underserved areas and ADHC is making a difference by doing everything it can to reach high risk children early with preventive dental care in comfortable environments such as school sites with their peers," said Sandra Magee.

Registered Dental Hygienists in Alternative Practice (RDHAP) are caring oral health professionals whom can make a difference in a child's life by being a first contact through outreach programs and helping them establish a dental home in their community. By increasing access to preventive dental hygiene care, Kern County will have healthier kids which will lead to better students in the classrooms.

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