WELCOME
Welcome to the Fones Dental Hygiene Health Center at Tisdale Elementary School webpage. The University of Bridgeport, Fones School of Dental Hygiene is proud to provide the highest quality preventive dental healthcare to your children here at the Jettie S. Tisdale Elementary School.
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Our Clinic
Our beautiful clinic, located near the Nurses office, is equipped with six specialized chairs to provide care to the children of Tisdale during regular school hours. We provide preventive services such as complete dental hygiene cleanings, examinations, radiographs, diagnostic laser cavity scans, fluoride treatments, and dental sealants. Additionally, we teach the children how to properly care for their teeth on a daily basis. Nutritional counseling as it relates to dental health is also discussed. The children learn how to make better choices to maintain their oral health. Following your child's appointment, we will send home information regarding our findings and personalized homecare instructions. If your child requires followup restorative treatment from a dentist, a referral form and x-rays (if taken) will be sent home with a list of area dental resources for you to contact to schedule a restorative appointment.
Please be an active partner in your child's oral health and review our instructions with them. Together we can help your child maintain optimal oral health! |
DENTAL HYGIENE HEALTH CENTER HOURS OF OPERATION
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday 8:30am - 3pm (September-May)
Clinic not in session 12/12/11-1/16/12, 3/12/12-3/16/12, hours subject to change, changes will be posted here
To contact our clinic please call 203-275-2011. If we are not available, you can leave a detailed voicemail and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Click HERE to enjoy the Fones Dental Hygiene Healthcenter, Tisdale Edition Newsletter The Winter Edition is filled with fun facts, tips, web-links and terrific information that can benefit your entire family! |
HOW CAN MY CHILD RECEIVE PREVENTIVE SERVICES AT TISDALE?
If you would like your Tisdale Lion to receive preventive dental healthcare services here at Tisdale Elementary School, simply complete a Medical History form and send back to school. It is that easy. Be sure to fill in ALL information including the insurance section if your child has Husky insurance.
Click HERE for the English version of the Medical History form Hage clic AQUI para mas informacion |
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HOW DOES SUGAR CAUSE CAVITIES?
We all have bacteria, called plaque, that grows in our mouths 24 hours a day. The plaque needs to eat to live. It eats sugar, digests it, and excretes acid. This acid burns the tooth surface and causes decay.
Each time you eat or drink something that contains sugar, the plaque releases acid for 20 minutes! So, it is not the amount of sugar that matters, it is how OFTEN you are eating or drinking sugar that matters! If you reduce the amount of plaque on your teeth, less acid will be released, decreasing the amount of damage to teeth and gums.
Additionally, the acid from bacterial plaque burns the gums and causes them to get puffy, sore, red, and bleed. This is gingivitis, the first stage of gum disease. Gingivitis is reversible with proper oral hygiene; follow the Brush, Floss, Rinse, Chew guidelines below from the American Dental Hygienists' Association!
http://www.asu.edu/courses/css335/caries.htm |
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OCTOBER WAS NATIONAL DENTAL HYGIENE MONTH!
This years initiative focused on preventing oral disease and maintaining oral health by following these simple steps: Brush, Floss, Rinse, Chew
Brush: For two minutes least two times a day. Studies have shown that brushing as prescribed here remains the most effective way to reduce plaque build-up and the risk of plaque associated diseases such as gingivitis (early gum disease) and cavities.
Floss: Removing plaque from between the teeth and under the gums is important to reduce the risk of gum disease and tooth decay.
Rinse: Rinsing with an anti-microbial rinse following brushing can help to kill residual plaque bacteria and is another great way to help reduce gum disease. Additionally, there are many mouth rinses available now that kill bacteria AND have fluoride to fight cavities! Some brands are Listerine Total Care Anti-Cavity Mouth Rinse and ACT Total Care. They are two products in one!
Chew: Chewing sugar-free gum after eating is clinically proven to be an important part of good oral health. It stimulates the most important natural defense against tooth decay, saliva-which, in turn helps fight cavities, neutralizes plaque acid, remineralizes enamel to strengthen teeth and wash away food particles.
For more information and terrific links to other resources, click here to access the American Dental Hygienists' Association website
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TISDALE TEACHERS ROCK! The amazing teachers here at Tisdale understand the importance of preventive dental care. They are flexible when children are requested to come to the Clinic for care. We encourage the students to be proactive about retrieving missed work to show their appreciation to the teachers. When class work is too important to miss, the teachers simply request that we provide services to the children of their class another time. This collaboration allows the children to receive the care they need the the outstanding education they deserve! |
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A special thanks to Principal Carmen Dickson and School Nurse Sharon Lawrence for their support and encouragement to the Fones Dental Hygiene Healthcenter at Tisdale Elementary School. They are an essential part of our team!
Fones School of Dental Hygiene Student's Give Back
Fones senior student dental hygienists are fortunate to have the opportunity to work within many public healthcare settings throughout their extensive clinical education process. The time spent at the Jettie S. Tisdale School is a favorite of our students. Our student dental hygienists form incredible bonds with not only the children, but the Tisdale Community as a whole. Their experiences here in our clinic help them to develop a passion for pediatric oral health. The children of Tisdale bring joy to their days.
Many Fones student dental hygienists have stated that even though the days are busy, they feel gratified to have been able to provide vital preventive dental services to the Tisdale Lions.
Each time a child visits our clinic, they earn a raffle ticket that is placed in a drawing for a prize. The group of student dental hygienists at the Tisdale Clinic prior to the Holidays came to school one morning with bags of toys. They wanted to give away lots of toys to the children they had the honor of treating.
The smiles on the student dental hygienists faces were bigger than those on the children's faces!
Thank you Tisdale School for providing such a rewarding experience to the students of the Fones School of Dental Hygiene!
Kristin Minihan-Anderson, RDH, MSDH | |
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WHAT IS HOME BY ONE?
The Connecticut State Public Health Department has wonderful resources available outlining the importance of your children receiving their first dental healthcare check up by the age of one.
Most children have their first baby tooth erupt around the age of 6 months. By the age of two, most children have all 20 baby teeth.
It is important for parents and caregivers to begin taking care the child's mouth from birth. Before teeth erupt, you can wipe the baby's gums and tongue with a wet washcloth to remove plaque, formula, or breast milk. As teeth begin to erupt, you can begin to use a toothbrush and a tiny (less than pea-sized) amount of toothpaste.
Finding a "dental home" for you and your children ensures you all have access to the dental healthcare you need and deserve.
Follow this link to the CTDPH Home by One website for more information on this important topic! |
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University of Bridgeport, Fones School of Dental Hygiene
If you and your other family members would like to receive the same terrific care your child receives here at Tisdale, contact the Fones School of Dental Hygiene at 203-576-4137 for an appointment and information. |
Kristin Minihan-Anderson, RDH, MSDH Clinic Supervisor Clinical Assistant Professor Fones School of Dental Hygiene kminihan@bridgeport.edu |
Fones Dental Hygiene Healthcenter at Tisdale Elementary School 250 Hollister Ave, Bridgeport, Connecticut | 203-275-2011 |
