Children’s Dental Health Month: Ensuring all children receive oral hygiene education

As a new graduate, I am excited to dive into my new career as a registered dental hygienist, highlighting my role in serving my community; community health is a vital core aspect allowing dental hygienists tomake a difference.¹ However, there are several groups of people that would benefit from extended oral health care instructions and education, which can be implemented if more dental hygienists became involved in their own communities.^1,2,3 

Pediatric concern 

Children in all schools and learning institutions should receive proper oral care education and resources to assist with preventive oral hygiene and dental care. While this population is young and impressionable, it is important to provide them with guidance that allows them to better understand how their oral self-care plays a crucial role in not only the development of their teeth but their overall health.^1-4 

Children’s Dental Health Month is emphasized every February and encourages oral health professionals to get involved by volunteering their time and providing visits within their local communities. These educational outreaches distribute a variety of educational materials, teaching children imperative oral hygiene home care instructions at local schools, hospitals, clinics, daycares, and community centers. These visits ignite oral health dental checkups or initial dental visits by sending informative dental fact sheets home to the children’s parents or guardians. Preventive care such as sealant placement and fluoride applications can also be incorporated with planning.

During my final semester prior, I was enrolled in a community dental health course that provided me with a better understanding on how to be prepared, expanding my knowledge with the proper steps to construct an oral hygiene educational lesson.1 The information I learned inspired me to become more involved with volunteer work and sparked a passion for pediatric dentistry. I learned how to create a lesson plan by utilizing the dental hygiene process of care, which included “the assessment, dental hygiene diagnoses, planning, implementation, evaluation and documentation of dental hygiene care for a target population."¹ 

Lesson planning 

Lesson planning preparation for different grade levels in early elementary education classrooms can be challenging. Educational material must be tailored and age-specific for children to engage with and comprehend the lesson. A good tip is to review core objectives with the teacher ahead of time.

It is crucial to not only hold a child’s interest but leave a positive impact on them. However, every child learns differently so you may need to divert from the original plan and go with the flow. To accommodate everyone in your lesson, follow the dental hygiene process of care and make sure to have back up options.^1,5 

Working with disabled children 

Children with disabilities and those with special needs need to be accommodated with lesson plans that will assist them. A disability is defined as “a physical or mental impairment” and special needs is referring to those with learning disabilities, developmental disorders, physical impairments and medical conditions.6 While each of these conditions can hinder a person’s ability to comprehend, it is imperative to understand how to not only educate but communicate with every patient/student you encounter. Communication isn’t just verbal; it includes things like pictures, learning devices, and recognizing body language.⁶

By assessing your patient, it allows you to recognize and diagnose what works best for them to create a personalized treatment plan.

However, communication and understanding may not always be easy, so the best way to work around these difficulties is by displaying patience and kindness with your patients. Regardless of their disabilities and special needs, never treat them differently than able-bodied or neurotypical patients. Be sure to provide them with the opportunity to be included in decisions; this creates a bond between patient and providerwhich allows for trust and acceptance in the future. 

Volunteering experience  

As a clinician, engaging in volunteerism, professional outreaches, and continuing education is important for advancing both your career and knowledge bank. While still in the dental hygiene program, I was given the opportunity to volunteer at Springbrook to provide oral hygiene education to children with disabilities.⁵ Springbrook is the leader on the forefront helping individuals with disabilities in New York State.

 

To see the difference between my required outreach experiences at public elementary school classrooms and Springbrook classrooms was truly eye-opening. The impact Springbrook has on the community is outstanding, and to be able to be a part of that made me want to ensure we reach as many children as possible when it comes to oral care education. At times, this may be more challenging for a child with disabilities, so I was grateful to be able to bring care to them.

 

Now as an RDH, I will be starting my career in a pediatric office, and I cannot wait to be able to make a difference and help shape the lives of every child I encounter. I would love to volunteer again at Springbrook and local elementary schools. I want to encourage new graduates to jump into volunteerism aspects of dental hygiene. I give credit to the critical information I learned in my community health course to plan these outreaches, along with strengthening my public speaking skills,1 so I can continue to implement them working in my career. My goal is to provide children with knowledge and expertise while creating beautiful, healthy smiles.