HMHP mobile dental clinic visits Austintown kids

Staff report

Austintown

Providing optional dental care to elementary students is part of the Austintown Local School District’s plan for healthier children.

Barb Kliner, district grant writer, said this year the district was approached by Humility of Mary Health Partner’s Mobile Dental program and asked to participate in its optional screenings.

Kliner said a Mobile Dental representative has met with first-graders in each of the district’s four elementary schools to discuss the basics of dental hygiene.

“They talked a lot about brushing and flossing, snack selections, that type of thing,” she said. “The main thing is to get the kids initial contact with a dentist and teach them how to care for their teeth properly.”

Kliner said every student in each of the elementary buildings received information on the program and a sign-up sheet. If a parent wants his or her child to participate, the papers are signed and returned to the school.

“We’ll schedule a time for the mobile dental van to come back and provide the cleaning and check-ups,” Kliner said.

“It’s our philosophy of taking care of the child from top to bottom when we have them.”