- Email: [email protected]
Teaching Oral Hygiene in the Chicago Public Schools
1142
The Journal of the American Dental Association
terial or through which they can be put in touch with those who can fill their needs. Canada is to be congratulated on having an efficient Dental Hygiene Council under Dr. Thomson; Ontario is fortunate in having Dr. Conboy as provincial director of dental service as is Toronto in having its work headed by Dr. Grant. With such a group, it
seems incongruous for me to suggest that you write to us if you think we can help you, as I say to the dentists in our country. However, an exchange of ideas and a discussion of aims, methods, policies and results should serve as a shortcut toward our ultimate goal—the conservation of teeth and the preserva tion of healthy mouths—links in the public health chain.
TEACHING ORAL HYGIENE IN THE CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS By M . OLIVE R EAD, D .D.S., Chicago, Illinois
The accompanying chart gives a con in the schools of foreign and mixed densed, though comprehensive, outline type only. The work in schools of the of the work as conducted in the Chica better, or American type, has been started go Public Schools by oral hygienists un this spring. As only one examination der the supervision of Dr. Armin P. has been made in these schools, we can show no results of our work. We feel, Baur. In studying the chart, one may be however, that we have the hearty co impressed with the thought that there is operation of the parents, and we hope a formidable array of problems to be that dentists will come to regard the overcome, with little encouragement and problem from the standpoint of the re cooperation to offset these difficulties. lation of defective teeth to the health It is true that these problems keep us of the school child, and so will give us constantly on our mettle, but at the same their more hearty cooperation in caring time, the enthusiastic support and co for deciduous teeth. We hope to have operation of many parents, teachers and the habits of mouth cleanliness, correct dentists make us feel that a work of en diet and periodic visits to the dentist so during service is being done in the com well established in these children by the time they reach the fifth grade in school munity. The percentages of results obtained, that they will require little if any super as shown on the chart, represent work vision thereafter along this line. T E A C H IN G M O U T H
H Y G IE N E
PROBLEM S
I. II.
L a rg e schools F e w w orkers
III.
L a rg e fo r e ig n p opu lation
IV .
Indifferen ce o f parents 1.
Ig n oran ce o f im portance o f first perm anent m olars
1143
Department of Dental Health Education 2.
T h in k reparative w o r k , especially o f deciduous teeth, unnecessary
3.
“ W h en they hurt, w ill have them ou t”
V.
O pposition o f parents (d u e to beliefs— p o litica l,
religiou s, e tc.)
V I.
Indifference and lack o f co op era tion o f teachers,
(o b je c t to disturbance o f r o o m )
V II.
L ack o f coop eration o f dentists, (r e fu se to care f o r deciduous teeth)
V III.
S hortage o f fr e e clinics, (p riv a te dentists h e lp in g ou t by c a rin g f o r one fr e e case a m o n th )
O R A L H Y G IE N E R E C O R D NAM E
ADDRESS
SCH O O L
ROOM
YEAR
GRADE
19____
(Ed- 4SS4> AGE
1 9____
TE A C H E R
29_ _ .
.
19........
19........
D A TE .
.
Perm.
Perm. Perm. Class 1
M a lo c c lu s io n
Class 2 Class 3
C le a n lin e s s — (C le a n - F a ir - D ir ty ) U se o f B ru s h (D a ily -O c c a s io n a l-N e v e r) N o . o f A b se n c e s C au sed b v D ef. T e e th REM AR KS ON D IE T REM AR KS ON G E N E R A L H E A L T H ________________________________________________________________________________________ __ REM ARK S ON C O N T A G IO N
____________________________________________________________________________________________ — —
(O V E R )
O ral hygiene re co rd used in C h ica g o P u b lic Schools.
HOW
WE
MEET
TH ESE
PROBLEM S
In fo r e ig n and m ixed schools* 1.
C lassroom talks— fa ir y stories in lo w e r grades
a.
K inds o f teeth C uttin g, tearing, g r in d in g
Im portance o f first perm anent m olar
b.
(C leanliness N eed f o r care (P re v e n tio n o f disease ( A n aid to g o o d scholarship
c.
(F o o d s con tain in g lim e salts V alu e o f diet ( M i l k , dark coarse breads (G reen vegetables, fru its, etc.
d.
e.
( A i d to digestion V alu e o f th o ro u g h m astication (Strengthens the teeth (A id s in clean in g teeth (D e v e lo p s muscles and bones o f face V alu e o f p e rio d ic visits to dentist f o r m outh exam ination
* The entire school, grades 1 to 8 Inclusive, was examined. lack of care of the deciduous teeth was marked.
There was little cooperation; and the
The Journal of the American Dental Association
1144
II.
2.
T o o th b ru sh d rill a. In classroom b. Sm all g rou p s in other room
3.
M o u th exam ination, f o r defects and abscesses a. G rou p talks b. In d iv idu al talks c. C hart o f m outh given to child cl. G rade, put on report card, g iv en on care o f teeth and effo rt to have reparative w o rk done e. R e fe r to private dentist, colleges f o r a sm all fe e , free clinics /. R eca ll o f children to check reparative w o r k done g. R ecords kept o f condition s fo u n d , and nature and am ount o f reparative w o rk done
4.
Use o f posters, m any made by pupils illustrating their understanding o f charts, slogans, pictures, h on or rolls, playlets, etc.
the w o rk ,
B etter type sch ool (A m e ric a n ) f 1.
C lassroom talks in story fo r m cleanliness, value o f diet,
2.
T o o th b ru sh d rill
3.
( f a i r y stories and “ ch ew -ch ew ” m ineral fa iries, etc.
M o u th exam ination m ore detailed, as show n on oral chart o f condition s fo u n d , sent to parents
e n g in e ), stressing
hygiene ch a rt; fo r m letter, with
4.
O ral hygiene chart— com plete record o f each p u p il f o r a p eriod o f
5.
E xam ination this year o f fifth g rade, h a v in g no instruction in ora l hygiene, to c o m pare w ith con d ition o f fifth grade pupils in fiv e years fr o m n o w a fte r we have given fiv e years o f care and instruction to these pupils. RESU LTS
SCHOOLS
OF
fiv e years
W ORK
P ercentage o f pupils
P ercentage w ith per
w ith p e rfe ct teeth on
fe c t teeth at last
those n o w g o in g
exam ination
are com pleted cases
first exam ination
Percentage p erfect a fte r
A u d u b on
1 1.2
46 .9
79.0
B a n cr o ft
9.0
35.9
72.7
D ru m m on d
9.0
50.0
60.0
H a w th orn e
14.0
59.0
84.5
L in c o ln
16.3
66.2
70.4
M an ierre
12.0
50.5
55.7 62.5
M oos
16.7
37.3
M o rr is
17.7
57.0
80.0
M cP h erson
21.8
4 0 .9 6
53.75
N ew berry
1 1.3
30.0
62.5
O gd en
15.0
42.7
62.5
P rescott
10.0
49.0
69.0
7.0
37.8
65.4
Schley
23.0
38.0
65.4
Schneider
12.8
50.0
70.0
W aters
24.0
53.0
80.5
10.8
27.2
Pulaski
W ic k e r
P ark
t T h e k in d e r g a r t e n a n d fir s t a n d s e c o n d g r a d e s w e r e e x a m in e d . T h e p a r e n t s a n d d e n tis t s c o o p e r a t e d b e t t e r t h a n in t h e f o r e ig n a n d m ix e d s c h o o l s , a n d t h e r e w e re m e e t in g s o f g r o u p s o f d e n t i s t s f o r d i s c u s s i o n o f s c h o o l p r o b le m s .
The Journal of the American Dental Association
terial or through which they can be put in touch with those who can fill their needs. Canada is to be congratulated on having an efficient Dental Hygiene Council under Dr. Thomson; Ontario is fortunate in having Dr. Conboy as provincial director of dental service as is Toronto in having its work headed by Dr. Grant. With such a group, it
seems incongruous for me to suggest that you write to us if you think we can help you, as I say to the dentists in our country. However, an exchange of ideas and a discussion of aims, methods, policies and results should serve as a shortcut toward our ultimate goal—the conservation of teeth and the preserva tion of healthy mouths—links in the public health chain.
TEACHING ORAL HYGIENE IN THE CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS By M . OLIVE R EAD, D .D.S., Chicago, Illinois
The accompanying chart gives a con in the schools of foreign and mixed densed, though comprehensive, outline type only. The work in schools of the of the work as conducted in the Chica better, or American type, has been started go Public Schools by oral hygienists un this spring. As only one examination der the supervision of Dr. Armin P. has been made in these schools, we can show no results of our work. We feel, Baur. In studying the chart, one may be however, that we have the hearty co impressed with the thought that there is operation of the parents, and we hope a formidable array of problems to be that dentists will come to regard the overcome, with little encouragement and problem from the standpoint of the re cooperation to offset these difficulties. lation of defective teeth to the health It is true that these problems keep us of the school child, and so will give us constantly on our mettle, but at the same their more hearty cooperation in caring time, the enthusiastic support and co for deciduous teeth. We hope to have operation of many parents, teachers and the habits of mouth cleanliness, correct dentists make us feel that a work of en diet and periodic visits to the dentist so during service is being done in the com well established in these children by the time they reach the fifth grade in school munity. The percentages of results obtained, that they will require little if any super as shown on the chart, represent work vision thereafter along this line. T E A C H IN G M O U T H
H Y G IE N E
PROBLEM S
I. II.
L a rg e schools F e w w orkers
III.
L a rg e fo r e ig n p opu lation
IV .
Indifferen ce o f parents 1.
Ig n oran ce o f im portance o f first perm anent m olars
1143
Department of Dental Health Education 2.
T h in k reparative w o r k , especially o f deciduous teeth, unnecessary
3.
“ W h en they hurt, w ill have them ou t”
V.
O pposition o f parents (d u e to beliefs— p o litica l,
religiou s, e tc.)
V I.
Indifference and lack o f co op era tion o f teachers,
(o b je c t to disturbance o f r o o m )
V II.
L ack o f coop eration o f dentists, (r e fu se to care f o r deciduous teeth)
V III.
S hortage o f fr e e clinics, (p riv a te dentists h e lp in g ou t by c a rin g f o r one fr e e case a m o n th )
O R A L H Y G IE N E R E C O R D NAM E
ADDRESS
SCH O O L
ROOM
YEAR
GRADE
19____
(Ed- 4SS4> AGE
1 9____
TE A C H E R
29_ _ .
.
19........
19........
D A TE .
.
Perm.
Perm. Perm. Class 1
M a lo c c lu s io n
Class 2 Class 3
C le a n lin e s s — (C le a n - F a ir - D ir ty ) U se o f B ru s h (D a ily -O c c a s io n a l-N e v e r) N o . o f A b se n c e s C au sed b v D ef. T e e th REM AR KS ON D IE T REM AR KS ON G E N E R A L H E A L T H ________________________________________________________________________________________ __ REM ARK S ON C O N T A G IO N
____________________________________________________________________________________________ — —
(O V E R )
O ral hygiene re co rd used in C h ica g o P u b lic Schools.
HOW
WE
MEET
TH ESE
PROBLEM S
In fo r e ig n and m ixed schools* 1.
C lassroom talks— fa ir y stories in lo w e r grades
a.
K inds o f teeth C uttin g, tearing, g r in d in g
Im portance o f first perm anent m olar
b.
(C leanliness N eed f o r care (P re v e n tio n o f disease ( A n aid to g o o d scholarship
c.
(F o o d s con tain in g lim e salts V alu e o f diet ( M i l k , dark coarse breads (G reen vegetables, fru its, etc.
d.
e.
( A i d to digestion V alu e o f th o ro u g h m astication (Strengthens the teeth (A id s in clean in g teeth (D e v e lo p s muscles and bones o f face V alu e o f p e rio d ic visits to dentist f o r m outh exam ination
* The entire school, grades 1 to 8 Inclusive, was examined. lack of care of the deciduous teeth was marked.
There was little cooperation; and the
The Journal of the American Dental Association
1144
II.
2.
T o o th b ru sh d rill a. In classroom b. Sm all g rou p s in other room
3.
M o u th exam ination, f o r defects and abscesses a. G rou p talks b. In d iv idu al talks c. C hart o f m outh given to child cl. G rade, put on report card, g iv en on care o f teeth and effo rt to have reparative w o rk done e. R e fe r to private dentist, colleges f o r a sm all fe e , free clinics /. R eca ll o f children to check reparative w o r k done g. R ecords kept o f condition s fo u n d , and nature and am ount o f reparative w o rk done
4.
Use o f posters, m any made by pupils illustrating their understanding o f charts, slogans, pictures, h on or rolls, playlets, etc.
the w o rk ,
B etter type sch ool (A m e ric a n ) f 1.
C lassroom talks in story fo r m cleanliness, value o f diet,
2.
T o o th b ru sh d rill
3.
( f a i r y stories and “ ch ew -ch ew ” m ineral fa iries, etc.
M o u th exam ination m ore detailed, as show n on oral chart o f condition s fo u n d , sent to parents
e n g in e ), stressing
hygiene ch a rt; fo r m letter, with
4.
O ral hygiene chart— com plete record o f each p u p il f o r a p eriod o f
5.
E xam ination this year o f fifth g rade, h a v in g no instruction in ora l hygiene, to c o m pare w ith con d ition o f fifth grade pupils in fiv e years fr o m n o w a fte r we have given fiv e years o f care and instruction to these pupils. RESU LTS
SCHOOLS
OF
fiv e years
W ORK
P ercentage o f pupils
P ercentage w ith per
w ith p e rfe ct teeth on
fe c t teeth at last
those n o w g o in g
exam ination
are com pleted cases
first exam ination
Percentage p erfect a fte r
A u d u b on
1 1.2
46 .9
79.0
B a n cr o ft
9.0
35.9
72.7
D ru m m on d
9.0
50.0
60.0
H a w th orn e
14.0
59.0
84.5
L in c o ln
16.3
66.2
70.4
M an ierre
12.0
50.5
55.7 62.5
M oos
16.7
37.3
M o rr is
17.7
57.0
80.0
M cP h erson
21.8
4 0 .9 6
53.75
N ew berry
1 1.3
30.0
62.5
O gd en
15.0
42.7
62.5
P rescott
10.0
49.0
69.0
7.0
37.8
65.4
Schley
23.0
38.0
65.4
Schneider
12.8
50.0
70.0
W aters
24.0
53.0
80.5
10.8
27.2
Pulaski
W ic k e r
P ark
t T h e k in d e r g a r t e n a n d fir s t a n d s e c o n d g r a d e s w e r e e x a m in e d . T h e p a r e n t s a n d d e n tis t s c o o p e r a t e d b e t t e r t h a n in t h e f o r e ig n a n d m ix e d s c h o o l s , a n d t h e r e w e re m e e t in g s o f g r o u p s o f d e n t i s t s f o r d i s c u s s i o n o f s c h o o l p r o b le m s .