Oral health education program receives grant
By PAMELA BRUSTPARKERSBURG - A $3,000 grant has been awarded to the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department to help fund oral health education for the Women, Infant and Children's program and children's clinics.
The grant is from Valley Health Systems as part of the Valley Health "Rush 2 Brush" Program. The money for the grant was provided to Valley Health by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The grant funds were used to purchase materials and supplies for oral health education for clients of WIC and the health department's clinical clients. Twenty seven oral health programs in West Virginia received grants. The recipients were chosen based on their work to promote dental health to families and children in the state.
Mary Beth Shea, oral health coordinator at the MOVHD, said she chose to use the grant funds in the two programs since they include the target audience she is trying to reach.
"I chose the WIC and clinical programs because they see pregnant moms and young children, and that is an area we are really trying to focus on," Shea said. "With the grant funds, I have been able to provide speciality items for that age range, including specially designed toddler toothbrushes, a sippy cup with sugar to emphasize how harmful sugary drinks are for children, a toothbrush teether, and a device parents can use to rub the gums of a teething infant. Children should not have anything but water in-between meals, milk and juice at meals, then the parents should help them clean their teeth."
WIC covers nine counties, clinical covers six counties, so Shea hopes to reach a lot of clients.
"We are trying to stick to basics, not make it complicated, and hopefully we can do that with these specialized supplies. We are trying to spread the word, educate parents about oral health," Shea said. "We will also have a portable display that will go with the WIC program and a permanent one for the clinics here. These will include information on when teeth come in, tooth decay models, anything that helps increase awareness, and our educational efforts."
Shea said the health department's oral health program went to the schools this spring through a pilot project at McKinley School in May. Using donated portable equipment, Dr. Erin Branham, a pediodentist saw 11 children.
"All the children that were examined needed further attention," Shea said, noting their parents were then referred for needed services.
Shea is hopeful that next school year the program can be expanded to additional schools.
