What if we could make going to the dentist as easy as going to school? At The Forsyth Institute, we asked ourselves just that.
For too many children,
high-quality dental care is
as hard to access as it was
when the Forsyth Dental
Infirmary for Children
opened its doors in 1914.
Today, Forsyth continues
to care for individual
children, while developing
community models that
can ultimately improve
the oral health of entire
populations.
ForsythKids works by
going where the children
are—in schools, and in
some cases community
centers and summer
camps. It began in 2003
as a pilot program in
Boston, Hyannis and
Lynn, three communities
with a shortage of
dental professionals
or other issues of
access to care. Today,
ForsythKids provides care
to thousands of children
throughout eastern
Massachusetts.
How it Works
The ForsythKids staff
of specialized dentists,
licensed hygienists, and
dental assistants
set up care facilities
in the schools using
portable and disposable
equipment. All children
enrolled in participating
schools are eligible
for ForsythKids. The
program is designed to fill
the gap in dental care for
at-risk children and ensure
that they get preventative
care as early as possible.
The ForsythKids team
visits schools three times
per year to maintain
ongoing dental care.
Each child is examined
by a licensed dentist and
provided instruction on
how to brush effectively.
They also receive a dental
cleaning, pit and fissure
sealants, fluoride varnish
application and temporary
fillings if needed. All
children receive a takehome
form that provides
a summary of the child’s
condition and the
treatment provided. Those
with decay and/or other
identified problems are
referred for treatment
and followed up for 30
days to ensure that they
have found a dentist in
their community. A list
of referral numbers in
case of emergency is also
provided.
The program features
oral health education
and materials—including
toothbrushes and
toothpaste—for the
children as well as
information for their
parents. This model of
care is designed so that it
can be replicated in any
community.
If you are interested in learning more about bringing ForsythKids to your school, please contact Kathy Eklund at keklund@forsyth.org.
