What if we could make going to the dentist as easy as going to school? At The Forsyth Institute, we asked ourselves just that.
ForsythKids brings preventive dental care directly to children who face barriers to care, right in their elementary schools. Our licensed dentists and hygienists provide every enrolled child with a dental exam, treatment plan, toothbrush, toothpaste, oral health education, and preventive care consisting of: tooth cleaning, fluoride, sealants.
Children are seen every six months for optimal prevention. Forsyth has found that one round of prevention, measured at six months, resulted in a significant reduction in new decay for both baby teeth and permanent teeth of 52% and 32% respectively. Time out of class is less than one hour per year. This simple model of cavity prevention could be adapted – and adopted nationwide, revolutionizing how America approaches oral health.
Launched in six schools in Lynn, Hyannis and Boston, Massachusetts, ForsythKids originally reached 1,200 children. Based on our striking clinical success, the program is poised for dramatic growth, expanding to all the elementary schools in Lynn, and school systems on Cape Cod and the Islands – offering children in more than 40 schools with convenient, cost-effective, preventive dental care. ForsythKids is also operating in the state of Maine and will be expanding to pilot sites nationally.
Tooth decay is the most common childhood disease. Left untreated this bacterial infection can leave children vulnerable to a lifetime of systemic illness, from diabetes to heart disease.
Many parents are not aware that their child even has a cavity until the child is in pain. Untreated cavities can damage a child's school performance, ability to eat and thrive, their sense of self-worth and long-term well-being.
Given the breadth and consequences of the problem, the irony is that nearly all childhood dental disease is preventable. ForsythKids will prevent cavities.