Eastern Idaho Public Health District (EIPHD) serves the dental needs of children in eight counties in Eastern Idaho (Bonneville, Clark, Custer, Fremont, Jefferson, Lemhi, Madison, and Teton). In the 2009 Idaho Smile Survey completed on 670 EIPHD third grade students showed the following results:
• 71% had already experienced tooth decay
• 22% had active, untreated tooth decay (needed restoration)
• 4% had acute need - pain or infection (immediate attention required)
• Children from low income families and Hispanic ethnicity had the highest decay rates
• Idaho's rural nature limited access to care for both preventive and restorative services.
Eastern Idaho Public Health District's Oral Health Program conducts oral health prevention and intervention projects using contemporary prevention practices like oral screening, fluoride varnish application and dental referrals for young children in our family-based clinics, and sealant provision and fluoride varnish in school-based sealant clinics. Sealant placement (plastic coating "painted on" deep grooves on top of chewing teeth) has been proven effective in reducing tooth decay. Sealant clinics require that Extended Access Dental Hygienists travel to participating schools with portable dental equipment (self-contained dental operatories). This Rotary project will be to purchase an additional portable dental unit, an Isolite System and Ultraviolet curing light. With that equipment, we could increase the number of sealants provided to area school children during the school year (some areas with volunteer Dentists/Dental Hygienists). Last year about 250 children were served in our sealant program, and this project would allow us to increase that number.
The equipment budget for this project is as follows:
Sealant Equipment
(All purchase costs reflect Government Agency Discounts of 20-40% and Tax Exempt status)
Aseptico Unit (consists of 5 portable pieces)
Aseptico Express II Portable Unit (1) $3,272.00
Aseptichair Portable Patient Chair w/case (1) $1,344.00
Aseptico Portable Operator Stool w/case (2 @ $516 ea.) $1,032.00
Aseptico Portable Tray Stand w/case (1) $ 580.00
Aseptico Total $6,228.00
Isolite System (one piece of equipment provides saliva suction,
lip/tongue retraction, and operator lighting ) $1,356.00
Ultradent (two pieces of equipment)
Valo Curing Light (hardens sealant material after placement) $ 921.00
Hygiene Handpiece (cleans teeth before sealant) $ 357.00
Ultradent Total $1,278.00
Equipment Total $8,862.00*
*This total is limited to the equipment cost only and does not include all disposable supplies, sealant materials, printing, mileage or professional time needed to provide sealants and travel to schools. These costs would be covered by the Health District.
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