ForsythKids expands dental care outreach through partnership with Delta Dental

ForsythKids, a mobile dental program bringing care to underserved communities, will expand its school-based program in Canton alongside Delta Dental of Massachusetts, the leading dental benefits administrator in the state.

ForsythKids has been providing preventative dental care to children in the Canton Public Schools for four years and was already scheduled to provide dental care to CPS students October 21 and 22. Thanks to $18,000 in funding from Delta Dental of Massachusetts, ForsythKids can expand its offering to more children in the area for the 2024-25 school year.

Care provided by ForsythKids includes dental examinations, cleanings, sealants, and fluoride varnish. The program provides each student with toothpaste, toothbrushes, oral hygiene instruction, and referrals to community dentists as needed. ForsythKids visits school sites, setting up a mobile pediatric dentistry clinic. ForsythKids is led by the nonprofit ADA Forsyth Institute, the world’s leader in innovative oral health research with a mission to promote oral health education and accessible care through community programs.

“We are grateful for Delta Dental of Massachusetts’ generous contribution and commitment to improving oral health in underserved communities,” said Megan Pugach-Gordon, director of ForsythKids. “We look forward to continuing to provide care and education in Canton and encourage parents to join us in learning more about oral health and how we can support families’ access to impactful health care.”

Canton is home to a diverse community, including many recently migrated families from a wide range of countries. Many members of the community may not have previously accessed dental care. ForsythKids connects with kids and their parents to increase education about oral health and address critical unmet needs. ForsythKids treated about 2,600 kids during the 2023-24 school year. Thanks to generous contributions such as Delta Dental of Massachusetts’ funding, ForsythKids can provide free dental care to families without insurance coverage.

Delta Dental of Massachusetts seeks to power effective dental care for underserved communities, aiming to support direct dental care to improve the overall health of communities throughout Massachusetts.

“Oral health is directly linked to overall health and wellbeing, and we know that access to preventive dental care is critical from a young age,” said Erik Montlack, president of Delta Dental MA. “ForsythKids’ mobile, school-based dental program provides an important access point for children and families, and Delta Dental is proud to support the expansion of this initiative in the Canton community.”

Tooth decay, the most common childhood disease in the U.S., results in more than 51 million lost school hours each year. Untreated dental disease can lead to pain, lack of attention in the classroom, problems eating and speaking, low self-esteem and long-term health consequences.

The percentage of kids with untreated cavities decreased from 39 to 19 percent after they received treatment by ForsythKids, among a 7,000-child cohort examined in a 2021 study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association.

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Posted by Canton Citizen on Oct 25 2024. Filed under Uncategorized. Both comments and pings are currently closed.