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The Delta Dental Plan of New
Jersey Foundation recently awarded a $100,000
grant to the New Brunswick Board of Education to
establish Dental Care Centers at Lord Sterling Community
School and the New Brunswick Health and Wellness Center
at New Brunswick High School.
The centers will provide free oral
health education and services to New Brunswick public
school students. The grant will also be used to purchase
a van to transport students from the town's other public
schools to the Dental Care Centers. "Educators
are in a unique position to observe and respond to the
daily emotional and physical concerns of students,"
said Betty Whalen, M.P.A., Director of New Brunswick
Public School's Health, Safety and Social Services. "In
recent years, we have witnessed a rise in the oral
health needs of students and have been concerned by the
lack of resources available for those who can't afford
care," says Whalen. "The new Dental Centers
will allow us to provide both treatment and oral health
education to the children who are most in need." In
June 2002, the Senate Committee on Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions held a hearing on the national
crisis in children's dental health. According
to many who testified, children of low socioeconomic
status make few visits to the dentist because of
barriers including cost and lack of transportation.
These are among the issues directly relating to the
student population in New Brunswick. "Our
goal in funding the new Dental Centers is to provide
students with the resources needed to improve their oral
health," said Dr. Gerald Sydell, Chairman, Delta
Dental Plan of New Jersey, Inc. and Vice President,
Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey Foundation. "Establishing
healthy habits early in life can spare individuals from
unnecessary pain and suffering as well as high financial
and social costs associated with untreated dental
disease," Dr. Sydell added. The
Dental Care Centers will be staffed during school hours
with dentists, a dental hygienist, and several rotating
dental students from the University of Medicine and
Dentistry of New Jersey. Each
center will be equipped with a dental chair, x-ray
machine, developing equipment, autoclave, dental
instruments, sink, and all other supplies and materials
necessary for performing basic dental procedures. Dentists
at the centers will provide services and treatments,
including dental screenings (including x-rays), fluoride
treatments, dental sealants, fillings and tooth
extractions. School nurses will refer students to the
dental centers. If specialized oral surgery or
orthodontic care is required, patients will be referred
to the appropriate facility where they can apply for
charity care.
"By addressing the impact
oral disease has on a child's cognitive development, we
are confronting the complexity of the problem and
offering a viable and long-term solution for our
children," said Whalen. "The
Dental Centers will also be a fundamental step in
fostering an environment of trust, cooperation, and
caring among the staff of New Brunswick Public Schools,
their students, and the parents," Whalen added.
"A bilingual staff will be in place to answer
questions or listen to any concerns." In
2000, former Surgeon General David Satcher released a
report citing a disparity in the oral health of
populations, based on racial and economic factors, and
called upon both public and private agencies to provide
care and information to those in need. Delta
Dental has initiated and supported a number of
philanthropic endeavors that benefit the underprivileged
and underserved in New Jersey. Our efforts have included
dental clinics, educational grants, and holiday food and
gift drives.
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