West Shore

School District

Dental Hygienist's Corner

What is a School Dental Hygienist?

A School Dental Hygienist is a dental professional who advocates for children's dental health within the educational setting.

What does a school dental hygienist do?

A School Dental Hygienist's duties include:

Performs the Pennsylvania State mandated dental screenings.
Organizes and operates the school fluoride supplement & dental sealant program.
Provides classroom dental health education grades 1-8.
With parental permission, provides preventative services to students within the school setting to include dental cleaning, fluoride varnish treatments, dental sealants, silver diamine fluoride treatment.
Acts as a liaison to link families with community dental health professionals and resources for dental care.

What preparation does a school dental hygienist need?

A Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) license to practice dental hygiene. This license is granted by the Pennsylvania State Board of Dentistry.
A baccalaureate or master degree from an accredited college or university.
School Dental Hygienist Certification through the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
A Public Health Dental Hygiene Practitioner license to perform preventive services.

Who is the West Shore School District's dental hygienist?

The District dental hygienist is Ms. Donna Murray ([email protected]).

Spring is here and Summer is on its way!

With warmer weather, three items come to mind: Water, Wisdom teeth, and Dental check-ups.

WATER

A time of hydration for overall health and dental health. Please refer to the link Encouraging Your Child to Drink Water. You will find suggestions to encourage your family and friends to drink more water and less sugary drinks.

WISDOM TEETH

The summer is usually a time of seeking new dentists or an oral surgeon for teens needing wisdom teeth evaluated. Please refer to the link Questions to Ask When Looking for a Dental Office. This will provide useful tips when seeking dental care.

DENTAL CHECK UPS

If your child is new to the West Shore School District or will be entering grade 1,3, or 7, the district will need a completed dental form. Pennsylvania mandates school districts provide dental screenings for students who have not seen a dentist during designated times.

If your child has seen a dentist during 2023-24, please ask your dentist to complete the dental form from the below link.

https://www.wssd.k12.pa.us/Downloads/Private_Dentist_Report.pdf

Return to:

Donna Murray, West Shore School District Dental Hygienist

507 Fishing Creek Rd

New Cumberland PA 17070

Or email to: [email protected]

Have a Safe and Healthy Summer!

Donna

Links provided by National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center & America's Tooth Fairy Organization.

ORAL HEALTH MATTERS

Importance of Seeing a Dentist

The health of our mouth influences other aspects of health and vice versa. Yes. It is all connected!

Did you know?

All children should see the dentist with the eruption of 1^st tooth or by age one?
Children with disabilities often have other health impairments which put them at a higher risk of dental problems. Therefore, may need to see a dentist more often than every six months.
Poor oral health impacts diabetes, heart health, and auto immune diseases like celiac, lupus
Poor oral health impacts school performance
Poor oral health impacts confidence and mental health
The inverse is also true. For example, respiratory diseases like asthma increases risk of cavities

Therefore, be sure to see your dentist and dental hygienist on a regular basis every 6 months.

If you need help in locating a dentist, see the below link provided by the Pennsylvania Coalition for Oral Health (paoralhealth.org).

https://paoralhealth.org/wp-contenthttps://filecabinet9.eschoolview.com/2023/10/Finding-Dental-Care.pdf