Pulpdent is teaming up with Kids in Need of Dentistry (KIND) to offer free preventive dental care to underserved children in Colorado. The company is donating 1,000 applications of its Embrace Pit & Fissure Sealant and 800 applications of its Embrace Fluoride Varnish to KIND’s Chopper Topper program for the 2017-2018 school year as part of its Public Health Partner Program.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tooth decay is one of the most common chronic diseases among children in the United States. The number of low-income children with untreated tooth decay (25%) is more than double that of their higher-income counterparts (11%).
KIND is actively working to prevent tooth decay among low-income children through its Chopper Topper program. Since 1998, the program has offered oral health education and dental sealant applications in Colorado schools, where 50% or more of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
For the past 3 years, the Chopper Topper program has used Embrace Pit & Fissure Sealant. Chopper Topper hygienist Lisa Valdez says that KIND chose it because of its unique WetBond chemistry, which allows the sealant to bond to the moist tooth. This is different from most dental sealants, Pulpdent says, which require the tooth to be completely dried before the sealant can be applied. Because it is moisture friendly, the company adds, application is easy and fast without sacrificing efficacy.
Chopper Topper’s mobile clinic travels to approximately 100 schools in the greater Denver area, and it provided sealants to more than 2,730 children. KIND found that 98% of the Embrace sealant applications were still in good condition a year after treatment. Starting this year, KIND also will use Embrace Fluoride Varnish to treat Chopper Topper program participants.
Related Articles
Report Supports Benefits of School-Based Sealant Programs
Fluoride Varnish as Effective as Sealants in Preventing Decay
3M Donates 3,000 Sealant Kits to Give Kids a Smile
