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Family First
Health Dental director Dr. James Patsis and staff
members at the Lincoln-Edison Charter School in
York treating a student patient on May
30th. Family First Health will collaborate with other York-based health care organizations to promote the use of sealants - or thin plastic coatings that are applied to the chewing surfaces of the teeth - in York-area school children. "We believe this sealant program will protect children from tooth decay and encourage them to understand the importance of good oral health habits," said Dr. James Patsis, dental director of Family First Health. "Developing those habits early in life can eliminate long-term health problems often caused by tooth decay, as well as lowering their future medical expenses." York is one of four cities in Pennsylvania chosen for the initiative, which began in January 2008. Other York partners in the program are the City of York Department of Health, WellSpan, Vo-Tech's Dental Assistant Program and Healthy York County Coalition Oral Health Task Force. The York City Bureau of Health is the lead organization in the program. Sealants are one way to prevent tooth decay, which remains the single most common chronic disease in children ages 5 to 17. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tooth decay in children is five times more common than asthma (59 percent versus 11 percent). Tooth decay occurs in children and teenagers on the chewing surfaces where pits and grooves tend to trap food and bacteria. Sealants fill these pits and grooves so that bacteria cannot multiply and cause decay. Dr. Howard Tolchinsky of the Pennsylvania Department of Health said other states are trying similar programs. "This is part of a nationwide realization that the sealants are effective and the best way to get them on children at the appropriate age is through the schools," Dr. Tolchinsky said. As prt of the sealant program, Dr. Patsis and his staff, with other community volunteers, visited area schools for three days in May Logos Academy on May 8 and Lincoln-Edison Charter School on May 19 and May 30. Family First Health has been a leader in helping York and Adams County residents find affordable access to dental care. When the Pennsylvania Department of Health said Hanover had a severe shortage of dentists who could serve Medicaid-eligible patients, Family First Health responded by adding a dental wing to its Hanover Medical Center. Since opening in November 2007, the center has accommodated approximately 50 new patients per month. About Family First Health Sources: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/publications/factsheets/prevention/oh.htm http://www.dsf.health.state.pa.us/health/cwp/view.asp?A=174&Q=232305 |
