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Growing Up Healthy means smiles in SW Head Starts
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A Head Start preschooler with a serious toothache should not have to wait six months to see a dentist! Unfortunately, Head
Start Health Coordinators sometimes struggle to find dental providers for their students. Many areas, such as southwest
Minnesota, lack local public program provider dentists.
Through a “Growing Up Healthy In Minnesota” grant from the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Foundation, Apple Tree carried out a project
in southwest Minnesota to bring culturally sensitive, on-site dental care to preschool children at four Head Start locations
that serve Marshall, Worthington, Ghent, Pipestone, and Redwood Falls.
A Dental Access Grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services helped provide the truck so that a dental team from the
Twin Cities could provide the care without interrupting other mobile services. Twin Cities Dental Director, Dr. Jayne Cernohous,
and Director of Information Systems, Brenda Marks, worked with Dr. Edith Gozali-Lee, a research scientist from the Wilder Research
Center, to evaluate the project.
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Puppets with teeth are used to teach
young children about oral care
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During the first school year of the project, which began in September 2002, The Head Start Smiles
Project achieved the following outcomes:
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The puppets are also used as dental care companions
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Access to preventive education and treatment was increased.
Head Start Smiles Project provided preventive education, screening, and treatment for all consenting children enrolled.
The percentage of children who received a professional dental exam during 2002-03 through the Head Start Smiles Project and
other dental resources was 69% for Western Community Action (WCA) Head Start program and 89% for Southwestern Minnesota
Opportunity Council (SMOC) Head Start program. Compared to the previous year, these numbers indicate an access increase of 8%
for the WCA Head Start program and 16% for the SMOC Head Start program.
Dental services were provided to a diverse population.
The project provided services to Head Start children who represented various ethnic or racial backgrounds, including Hispanic,
Caucasian, African American, Asian, and American Indian.
Parents were satisfied with the dental services, including satisfaction with cultural competency and sensitivity.
96% of parents reported in the survey that they were very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with the dental services that their
children received. 96% of parents rated the sensitivity demonstrated by dentists and dental hygienists to their cultural background
as good or very good. Parents said that the dentists and dental hygienists gave clear explanations and that their children felt
comfortable.
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