Complete 1 page APA formatted article: M2 Implementation Discussion. Discussion: Changes to the Dental Health Plan First Middle initial and of Prof. First and of lecturer

March 24, 2012

Changes to the Dental Health Plan

The ‘Dental Health Promotion Program for Rural School Children’ initially focused on three main aspects:

1. Educating expectant mothers about the importance of breastfeeding their children, having a balanced diet, and maintaining appropriate oral health in their new-born and infants.

2. Conducting School-based dental health screenings for 6 to 10 year old children.

3. Conducting school-based dental education program focusing on the importance of oral health and hygiene for 6 to 10 year old children.

However, for the implementation phase, the first aspect of involving gynecologists from federally qualified health care centers in Oklahoma City to educate expectant mothers has been removed. This is primarily because it does not address the target audience of 6 to 10 year old children studying in rural schools in the city.

Hurdles

Parents of 6 to 10 year old children studying in the participating schools were sent letters informing them about the program and asking their authorization to enroll their children in the program. However, only 30% of the parents responded to the letters. This was addressed by contacting the parents who did not respond to the letters by phone and taking their approval over the phone. Contacting parents over the phone increased the participation rate to 50%.

Goals for the Week

A total of 500 children have been enrolled in the program. The goal for the week is to collect baseline data so that once the screening and educational programs are implemented the changes (if any) in the rate of dental caries and awareness regarding dental health can be monitored over the course of the three years of the program.