Daniel Ukpong, MPH¹, Richard Gelman, DMD², Cyril Blavo, DO, MPH, and TM², and Jennie Lou, MD, MSc³. (1) MPH, Nova Southeatern University, 3200 S. Unversity Dr. Terry 1578, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328, 954-792-6070, ukpong@nova.edu, (2) MPH, Nova Southeastern University, 3200 S. Unversity Dr. Terry 1578, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328, (3) Master of Public Health Program, Nova Southeastern University, 3200 S. University Dr. HPD 1578, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328

The use of sealants in school children is one of the Healthy People 2010 national objectives, which requires that 50% of all 8 to 14 years old children receive dental sealants. The Monroe County Dental Sealant Pilot Program (MCDSPP) is a school-based dental prevention program. The goal of MCDSPP is to improve the oral health of children attending Monroe County public schools in Florida, who are from low income and underserved communities. This ongoing prevention program is implemented under the leadership of a practicing dentist, with a team of dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and dental students. The program includes oral health education, dental screenings, the applications of sealant, and referrals for fillings. During 2001 to 2003, a total of 530 children in Key Largo, Key West, and Marathon in Monroe county received parental consent and participated in the program. A retrospective study was also performed through dental records review to examine the reduction of the need for fillings as a result of the implementation of MCDSPP. For the dental records review, a total of 197 elementary school children in Key Largo area were included. In the first year, 948 sealant applications and 462 fillings were provided; and 176 sealant applications and 135 fillings were provided during the second year. The results reveal that the fillings need declined by 70.78%, and the sealant retention rate is 70.50%; The study supports that the Monroe County Sealant Pilot Program provides a significant and effective preventive service to a high-risk, underserved child population.

Learning Objectives: Following the presentation, the participants will be able to

• describe a school-based oral health prevention program.
• discuss the benefits of a school-based oral health prevention program in serving the underserved, high-risk populations.

Keywords: Sealant Programs, School-Based Programs

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.