School Dental Screening
Dental screening is an appraisal activity just as hearing screening and vision screening are appraisal activities. An appraisal is NOT a diagnostic examination and in no way replaces a regular dental examination.
In the ADMINISTRATIVE RULES OF MONTANA,Title 16, Chapter 10, Subchapter 1117, the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services recommends that students be evaluated by registered professional nurses or other appropriately qualified professionals on a periodic basis in order to identify those health problems which have the potential for interfering with learning including:
- Assessment of student's health and environmental status
- Vision Screening
- Hearing Screening
- Scoliosis Screening
- Chemical and Alcohol Abuse
- Nutritional Screening
- Dental Screening
Dental screening is a tool to identify emergent dental needs and, like all screening, has other benefits for the student participating in the event. It may help to build a positive attitude on the part of the student toward dental health, it may motivate some parents to schedule dental examinations for their child and the information from the dental screening may suggest areas of the health education program that could be enhanced.
Dental screening data is available since the 1993-94 school year.
Specific information on dental screening can be found in the brochure, GUIDELINES FOR DENTAL SCREENING. This brochure plus the three part dental screening forms are available free and sample copies are available upon request by calling 444-0276.
