Oral Health

The mission of Georgia’s Public Health, Oral Health Division is to prevent dental disease for Georgia’s children through education, prevention, and early treatment. The most common dental problems that children have are dental cavities and gum disease. Early treatment can prevent pain and infection. The Oral Health Department includes the following programs, which are geared towards our mission: School based dental prevention; School based fluoride mouth rinse program; and Dougherty County Dental Clinic.

School based dental prevention

A dental team, which includes a Dentist and Hygienist, bring a fully equipped mobile dental office into Southwest Georgia’s Elementary Schools. This school-based program focuses on low-income children on Medicaid or without dental insurance and those who just simply do not have access to a dentist. Preventive treatments included in this program are: Examinations, Dental Cleanings, Sealants and Fluoride Treatments. The children are also examined for need of specific dental treatments including fillings and extractions, with first priority on emergency dental services, which is also provided at the school.  Referrals are also given for dental treatments as necessary.

We also have a proposed mobile dental trailer, which will also participate in the school based dental program in Fall 2006.

School based fluoride mouth rinse program

Fluoride is used to strengthen the tooth’s enamel against decay. Early treatment with fluoride helps prevent tooth decay.  This is a program in which the Dental Hygienist visits county schools once a week for each selected school. In coordination which the teachers, the Hygienist oversees the students rinsing with fluoride.  Our fluoride rinse program is directed towards children who have a high caries rate, no fluorinated water supply , or lack other adequate sources of fluoride.

Yet another reason to brush and floss

When gums are diseased, the rest of the body may follow suit, say Harvard researchers cited in the January 23 edition of The Wall Street Journal.
            A study of more than 51,000 men found that those with a history of gum disease faced a 64 percent higher risk for pancreatic cancer than those with healthy mouths. The research joins a wave of recent findings linking poor health of the mouth with poor overall health. Other conditions tied to unhealthy gums include heart disease, diabetes, stroke and problems during pregnancy.
            Poor oral health is a bigger problem than most people realize. Around 35 percent of adults are estimated to have gum disease, with as many as one third experiencing moderate to severe cases.
            “People think of gum disease as being in their mouths,” Harvard School of Public Health Assistant Professor Dominique Michaud, the lead author of the study, told the WSJ. “But when it gets severe, it’s not just in the mouth. It’s probably in the entire body.”
            While regular flossing and brushing can reduce the likelihood of gum disease, don’t count on it to prevent it, researchers warned. Roughly one third of the population is genetically predisposed to gum disease. Tobacco and such medications as antidepressants, oral contraceptives and heart drugs are also likely culprits when it comes to poor oral health.
            Treatments may be as simple as taking antibiotics in pill form or applying antibiotic gels to affected areas. In some cases, intensive cleaning both above and below the gum line may be required. In other instances, diseased gum may be surgically removed and replaced with grafts of healthy tissue from the roof of the mouth.
            Some gum disease could be reduced or prevented by regular dental care. Yet limited coverage of dental procedures by typical insurance plans has discouraged many from scheduling routine appointments. The good news is that health plans are starting to offer such coverage.
            Take advantage of the American Academy of Periodontology’s on-line tool to help determine your risk for gum disease at www.perio.org/consumer/4a.html .

Dougherty County Dental Clinic

Dougherty County Dental Clinic is a fully operational, state of the art dental clinic located within the Dougherty County Health Department. The county dental staff consists of a Program Assistant, Expanded Duty Dental Assistant, Registered Dental Hygienist, and a Board Certified Dentist. The major focus of this clinic is to serve the children of Dougherty County. The other focus is to provide emergency treatment and other necessary dental care to the other patients of the Health Clinic.  The Dougherty County Dental Clinic participates in many programs to address that need, which includes: Ryan White Programs for HIV patients, Citizens with Wisdom for our older patients, Peach care for kids, Medicaid patients and emergency extraction program.