Mobile dental program to visit schools

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Unity Care NW’s Mobile Dental Program will visit Blaine schools this fall to provide exams, sealant, fluoride and other dental services. The program is free for those without insurance, and Unity Care NW bills insurance companies for those who have it.

Students who participate also receive a free toothbrush, toothpaste and floss. Participation is optional, and students who want dental services must fill out registration forms, which are available on the school district’s website and at each school’s main office. Everyone can benefit from the program, but students who receive fluoride twice a year should opt out of receiving fluoride, said Blaine school district nurse Jodi Greene.

Dates for the school visits are: October 8 for Blaine primary, October 17 for Blaine elementary, October 22 for Blaine middle and high schools, and November 14 for Point Roberts primary. Registration forms are due for the primary school on October 4, for the elementary school on October 11 and October 18 for the middle and high school.

The mobile dental specialists also work to educate kids about the importance of oral health – an aspect of the program that Greene emphasized.

“I think the most important piece of this is the oral health education, and why it’s important to keep our teeth healthy,” she said. “I myself have four kids who do the program. It helps having someone who specializes in oral health telling our kids why it’s important to keep your teeth clean.”

The mobile dental program will return to all district schools again in the spring. Unity Care NW’s mobile dental vans have served Whatcom County schools for 20 years. Registration forms are available at blainesd.org/o/blaine-school-district/browse/38416.

 

Correction: A previous version of this story said students who visit the dentist regularly should opt out of the mobile dental program. Students who visit the dentist regularly can still benefit from the program, but those who regularly receive fluoride treatment should opt out of fluoride treatment. We regret the error. 

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