Improving Oral Health In Rural Tehama County

The goal to brighten smiles in Tehama County has been gaining momentum over the past 15 years. February’s “Give Kids a Smile Day,” put on by Tehama County Public Health Advisory Board Dental Committee, represents a collaborative effort of various organizations and dental professionals. It has proven hugely successful and annually serves children without access to dental care in Red Bluff, CA. The focus going forward is to improve preventative oral health care. Healthy teeth, healthy children, healthy Tehama!

In 2017 the Tehama County Public Health Oral Health Program was awarded a five-year grant funded by Proposition 56, the tax on tobacco products. The main goal of this grant is educating and empowering all Tehama County community members to improve their oral health, especially the vulnerable populations, and increasing access to dental services for everyone. In 2018 the Oral Health Program completed a community survey to identify the dental needs of residents and create an inventory of resources required to meet those needs. The rural areas identified for these needs are Los Molinos, Gerber, Vina, Rancho Tehama, and Manton.

Melvin Sage, DDS, now retired, was instrumental in assisting the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians to open the Rolling Hills Clinic in 2011 to offer quality medical and dental services rurally. Rolling Hills Clinic (http://www.rhclinic.org) now operates a Virtual Dentistry Program which is a means for teledentistry—the ability to gather information, complete dental examinations, receive treatment plans from an off-site dentist, and then provide dental treatment in locations other than the dental clinic. To further increase access to dental services for their rural, vulnerable populations, Rolling Hills Dental Clinic is working on renovating a mobile dental van.

Tehama County’s Oral Health Program Coordinator, Mary Jacobson, RDH, BS, reports that educational outreach has been a fun collaboration with many local agencies and dental professionals. “Last spring,” she says, “to celebrate National Public Health Week, staff traveled to Manton to provide Rural Health Community Outreach to the children and adults at the Manton Education Council. We taught the importance of oral health and being tobacco-free through hands-on activities, stories, a short play, and visits with Dandy the Smokeless Dragon and the Terrific Tooth. Participants also learned how to establish healthy habits. We all enjoyed a wonderful time.”

Similar outreaches have included reading events at local libraries and training for staff at Head Start Centers. Jacobson has enjoyed sharing “Tooth Story Times” at the libraries in Corning and Red Bluff. Engaging very young children with mouth cut-out pop-ups and “Sugar Bug Doug,” a fun, educational skit, helps convey important health messages to both children and adults.

Brenda Maember, RDH from Northern Valley Indian Health Clinic, has been performing oral health screenings at Head Start Sports Night and the Cinco de Mayo event at the Corning Skate Park. She has screened and educated approximately 400 people. These fun, informative gatherings make a lasting impression on children and adults, showing them the importance of taking care of the teeth that are meant to last them their lifetime.

“Total health begins with your smile” is a message for everyone, across their lifespan. The next steps for the program include counseling about a healthy diet, limiting sugary drink consumption, encouraging tobacco cessation, increasing use of dental sealants, involving primary care medical providers in dental care, and finding effective ways to deliver dental care to rural areas.

Parents, especially mothers, need to practice good oral hygiene. Cavity-causing mouth bacteria can be spread from parents to their children. Pregnant women are at a higher risk for gum and tooth disease, which may cause health problems for themselves and their unborn child, including preterm birth. Parents are the first teachers of good oral hygiene practices such as tooth brushing and flossing. Adults are encouraged to stop using tobacco products as their use contributes to caries and increases the risk of oral cancers.

The Rancho Tehama Association is looking forward to seeing that dental van roll in, stating, “Rancho Tehama has a diverse community of retirees and families with children living a fair distance from any services or shopping centers. Our drive to the closest town could be as long as 30 miles. We are excited to hear that in the future, a mobile oral health clinic might be visiting our area, providing oral health check-ups and work for our senior citizens and children. This is a much-needed service that our community would be so grateful for.”

These programs are still picking up momentum. Soon they will reach their cruising speed and you might see Dandy the Smokeless Dragon, Sugar Bug Doug, and the Terrific Tooth in your neighborhood soon. Keep up your good oral hygiene and offer them your biggest smile.

BABY TEETH ARE IMPORTANT

Children need healthy teeth to chew and to speak clearly. Baby teeth make space for adult teeth. Young children want to brush their teeth, but they need help. Give your child a healthy start!

• Brush your child’s teeth twice a day, after breakfast and before bed, and floss once a day.
• Give your child healthy foods.
• Give your child fewer sweets; if you offer occasional sweets or sugary drinks, do so only at mealtime.
• Do not put your child to sleep with a bottle filled with milk, juice, or sugary drinks like fruit-flavored drinks or soda pop.
• Take your child to the dentist by their first birthday.

The ancient word “Tehama” once meant a place where rivers could be crossed. With our county’s rich currents of history, happenings, and hope, this is our crossing place today — where we meet to celebrate our beautiful Tehama County.