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Student receiving care from a dental provider.
Student receiving care from a dental provider.
Hawaiʻi Keiki-HDS Dental Sealant Program Team at Waialua Elementary School.
The Hawaii Dental Service Foundation (HDS) provided a $133,447 grant to continue a public school dental sealant program that screened more than 650 children during the past school year, two-thirds of whom received dental sealants at no cost. The Hawaiʻi Keiki-HDS Dental Sealant Program was developed in 2019 to coordinate dental screenings and provide on-site dental sealants to high-need Title I public elementary schools. Dental sealants help prevent tooth decay in permanent molars and the application of sealants is quick, non-invasive and painless. Sealants are usually applied by a dentist to keiki around second or third grade.
Hawaiʻi Keiki: Healthy and ready to learn is a partnership between the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing (NAWSON) and the Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE). The Hawaiʻi Keiki Program’s mission is to keep keiki healthy and ready to learn by providing access to school nursing services in Hawaii’s public schools.
The Hawaiʻi Keiki-HDS Dental Sealant program provides oral health assessments and dental sealants at no cost and brings licensed dentists and dental hygienists to the school to minimize the time students are away from class. Families of participating students receive evaluation reports, referrals and oral care kits, and students in need of emergency dental care receive referrals to community dental providers. With the support of the HDS Foundation, Hawaiʻi Keiki School nurses, dentists and dental hygienists improve the oral and overall health of students. The program will continue to screen more HIDOE students during this new school year.
“Schools and parents just love this program because we provide safe and effective sealants to prevent future cavities,” he said. Deborah Matthew, the director of the Hawaiʻi Keiki-HDS Dental Sealant program. “In addition to sealing teeth, we screen students for dental emergencies and make referrals to get them immediate care. It’s hard to know if you have painful teeth. We also teach children the importance of brushing and flossing every day.”
“HDS is proud to support this important sealant program to protect the oral health of HIDOE students,” said Dr. Diane Paloma, president and CEO of Hawaii Dental Services; “Increasing access to dental care in schools helps families establish good oral health habits now to ensure their children have a lifetime of healthy smiles.”
Last school year, the program screened 653 public school students at 28 schools on Oʻahu, Maui and Kauaʻi, with 430 students, or about 66 percent, receiving dental sealants. In addition, screenings identified 31 children in need of emergency dental care.
“We are pleased to continue our partnership with the HDS Foundation to improve oral health and overall health across the state,” he said Clementina Ceria-Ulep, interim dean at NAWSON. “Our Hawaiʻi Keiki program is uniquely positioned to provide direct services to public school students.”
Children in Hawaii have among the highest rates of dental caries (cavities) in the nation, with 71 percent of Hawaii’s third graders experiencing tooth decay, according to a 2015 Department of Health report. The report found that 7 percent needed emergency dental care, compared to the national rate of 1%. Also, over 60% of third graders in Hawaii did not have sealants on permanent molars. The Hawaiʻi Keiki-HDS Dental Sealant Program works proactively to increase the number of children receiving dental sealants.
“We are grateful for the important role the HDS Foundation plays as a community partner for UH Mānoa NAWSON, Hawai’i Keiki and the Hawai’i Department of Education,” he said. Tim DolanUniversity of Hawaii, its vice president of advancement and CEO University of Hawaii Foundation. “Mahalo to the HDS Foundation for supporting this critical preventive service for Hawaii’s keiki.”
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The University of Hawaii Foundation
A non-profit organization, it raises private funds to support the University of Hawaii system. The mission of the University of Hawaii Foundation is to unite the passions of donors with the ambitions of the University of Hawaii by leveraging philanthropic support and stewardship of private investments to benefit UH, the people of Hawaii and our future generations. www.uhfoundation.org
Hawaii Dental Service Foundation
The Hawaii Dental Service Foundation was established in 1986 by Hawaii Dental Service to improve oral health in Hawaii. The Foundation’s oral health initiatives include programs such as Seal Away Decay, Dentist by One and Kupuna Smiles. In 2018, the Foundation established the Hawaii Dental Service Community Scholarship Program to support Hawaii students pursuing careers in dentistry or dental hygiene. The Foundation also awards grants to local nonprofit organizations for programs and projects that provide oral health education, oral disease prevention, and increase access to dental care for underserved populations. Visit the Hawaii Dental Service Foundation website at www.HDSFoundation.gives.
Hawaii Keiki
Hawai’i Keiki is a partnership between the UH Mānoa Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing and the Hawai’i Department of Education and sits at the intersection of education and health to support the DOE to achieve student, school and system success. The program is designed to improve access and quality of school health services by coordinating and expanding existing efforts of partners and community resources. The program strengthens and creates school health services that screen for treatable health conditions. provide referral to primary health care and patient-centered medical services at home; prevent and control communicable diseases and other health problems; and provide emergency care for illness or injury. Visit us at www.nursing.hawaii.edu/hawaii-keiki.
UH Mānoa Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing
The UH Mānoa Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing, the Nursing Capital of the Pacific, is the leader in nursing education and research in Hawaii with outreach to Asia and the Pacific Basin. We provide an innovative, caring and multicultural environment in which faculty, students and staff collaborate to create and transmit knowledge, wisdom and values to promote quality of life and health for current and future generations. The school offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. To reflect Hawaii’s unique cultural diversity and heritage, we are committed to increasing the representation of Native Hawaiians and other underserved individuals in all nursing programs. Visit us at www.nursing.hawaii.edu.
