Coming to a DE school near you: free kindergarten oral health screenings

October 30, 2024

Han Cechini,

DELAWARE – The First State’s littlest learners have a lot to smile about as the Delaware Department of Public Health (DPH) rolls out a new program.

DPH Launches Kindergarten Oral Health Screenings

The Kindergarten Oral Health Screening Program promises to connect kids and their families with the resources they need to ensure good dental health.

Licensed Delaware dentists and hygienists will visit public schools to perform non-invasive oral health screenings for kindergarteners, using just a mirror and a flashlight.

During each screening, the experts are looking for symptoms like pain, swelling, infections, decay, or dental sealants. Once the check-up is complete, the kids are sent home with a dental report card and a good bag containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss.

Resources for Parents, Guardians

Also inside that bag, is an oral health care resource guide, packed for valuable information for parents and guardians.

“This provides them with information like everything from where to find a provider to benefit eligibility to how to navigate the oral health care system,” said Dr. Nicholas Conte, DPH’s Dental Director.

Dr. Conte says that encouraging and starting good oral hygiene habits only serves the children’s overall health in the long run.

“Certainly, we want our kindergartners, and all school students for that matter, to be at their best when they’re in school, and able to learn,” Dr. Conte said. “So, the idea here is that schools already provide a multitude of different screenings to make sure that happens from vision to hearing.”

Focusing on Healthy Teeth

The program was created under House Bill 83, which requires the screenings for all public school kindergarteners by the last day of the school year. According to DPH, 34 million school hours are lost every year due to unplanned and acute dental care. During the 2021-22 academic year, DPH says 45% of Delaware kindergartners had at least one tooth with decay experience, and 22% had untreated tooth decay.

“What we really want to do is raise awareness, and make sure that we’re finding problems early on,” said Dr. Conte. “[We want] families to get the services they need at a provider in their area that meets all of their needs.”

Dr. Conte says even with this program in place, parents should still get their children into a dentist’s chair if they are not already.

“Even if a child is healthy, if they aren’t routinely seeing a provider, it’s best to get under the care of someone on a routine basis.”