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History of the
Dental Sealant Grant Program
at SIUC
The Dental Sealant Grant Program (DSGP) at SIUC is funded
by a grant through the Illinois Department of Public Health/Division of Oral Health (IDPH/DOH) and from
generous product donations from Oral Health America as part of the National Sealant Alliance. Our aim
is to provide oral exams, dental cleanings, fluoride varnish treatments, dental sealants and oral hygiene
education to children in second and sixth grade who are Medicaid eligible and enrolled in the free and
reduced school lunch program. However, students in other grades are eligible.
Primarily, children have been treated
in the public school setting during the academic year. In 2003, DSGP began treating children during the
summer months through various community and church related programs. With each year the outreach
of the DSGP has grown. As of the summer of 2008, DSGP is reaching children for treatment through
social service organizations, public school summer lunch programs, Vacation Bible Schools, community
organizations, and Public Health Departments.
To date, DSGP has seen nearly
3,000 children and provided over 4,000 sealants to children in the southern Illinois since services began
in 2001. Nearly half of the children enrolled in the elementary school district are in the free or reduced
lunch program. Due to state mandatory dental examinations in Illinois for Kindergarteners, 2nd and 6th
graders, less restrictive supervision laws for dental hygienists, and integration of the DSGP into the senior
dental hygiene curriculum, the DSGP has seen significant growth in the past few years.
The senior dental hygiene students
at SIUC participate in the grant-funded program during the academic year. As a service-learning activity,
the DSGP meets the needs of the community, bridges academic theory with the practical experience,
fosters civic responsibility, and has a reflective component. Dental hygiene students have the opportunity
to work with portable equipment in an environment unlike the dental hygiene clinic. The students gain the
experience of treating underserved populations in rural communities where they live and are required
reflect on meeting the needs of the community in non-traditional settings as a part of their training. Both
dental hygiene students and faculty perceive the DSGP as a positive experience that fosters the roles of
the dental hygienist and the public health component within each of these roles, as well as, meeting SIUC's
mission for teaching, research, and service. (Excerpted from Poster Abstract submitted and presented to the
American Association of Public Health Dentistry. Little Rock, Arkansas, May 2006. Presenters: CJ Lautar, DG
Summers, FY Miller)
Providing students with public
health and outreach opportunities such as the DSGP are in step
with the mission of Southern @150:
"We must lead by example
in our service to others, embrace the value of service, and inspire
our students to become citizen-leaders with global perspectives."
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