The start of the 2020 school year looked different for many school districts with the ongoing global pandemic, but Northeast Missouri Health Council is excited to be back out and visiting local schools again!
Each year, NMHC teams up with local school districts to provide two different services – the Missouri Oral Health Preventive Services Program (PSP) and the Mobile Dental Unit. Depending on the school’s needs, they can opt into one or both of the programs, and NMHC visits them accordingly.
The PSP is a partnership between NMHC, the state of Missouri, and local school districts. The Department of Health and Senior Services provides fluoride for each school district that opts in, and NMHC then visits each school district to conduct general dental screenings and complete fluoride treatments.
The dental screenings are performed by NMHC’s registered dental hygienists and are a great way to give parents an update in between their regularly scheduled dental checks. The program kicked off earlier this month, and NMHC’s outreach team has visited several schools in the area and will continue to do so throughout the semester.
Northeast Missouri Health Council’s Mobile Dental Unit is essentially a mobile dental office created to provide dental care on the road. During the fall and spring semesters, the MDU visits schools and provides full dental services to students whose parents opt-in.
This year, the MDU kicked off its route at the Macon Head Start, where they provided dental care for children enrolled there. The MDU will now continue along its route and spend a few days at each school to see students who are signed up.
To find out if you’re school is involved in these programs, contact your school nurse, and see what you can do to get your student involved!