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Dental Exams and Prevention of Tooth Decay in Preschool and School

16 September 2024

Maintaining oral health and preventing oral and dental diseases are critical during childhood. For this reason, dental checkups, education and action to prevent tooth decay are carried out in educational institutions.

Dental health care performed in preschools:

  • Practical education on brushing teeth.
  • Applying fluoride to prevent tooth decay.

Dental health care carried out in the first to ninth grades in school:

  • Annual dental checkup.
  • Learning about maintaining a healthy mouth and teeth through the Shenli program.
  • Annual distribution of toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Updating the parents and continued monitoring: following the checkup, parents will receive a report about the state of the pupil’s dental health, and, if necessary, a recommendation to take the pupil to a dental clinic for a check and treatment.

Maintaining oral health and preventing oral and dental diseases are critical during childhood. For this reason, dental checkups, education and action to prevent tooth decay are carried out in schools and preschools.

  • In preschools

    Practical education on brushing teeth and applying fluoride to prevent tooth decay.

  • In schools

    Annual dental checkup from first to ninth grade. The checkups are performed to identify pupils who require dental care. It is important to remember that this checkup is not a substitute for an examination in a dental clinic.

Additionally, the school uses the Shenli program to teach about oral and dental healthcare, based on the different age groups.

Who provides dental checkups, instruction and fluoride application

  • Education on protecting dental health: a dentist or dental hygienist or a teacher or an educator.
  • Dental exam: a dentist.
  • Applying fluoride: a dentist or dental hygienist.

Course of the dental checkups, education and fluoride application

  • 1
    Annual dental exam

    A dentist will perform a visual inspection of the mouth. If the lips and mouth need to be touched, the medical staff will wear disposable gloves. The checkup will be performed in a suitable place in the school, where the privacy of pupils is protected.

  • 2
    Learning through the Shenli program

    A program that is implemented in all schools. It encourages a healthy lifestyle, avoidance of risk factors, encouragement of pupils to maintain their oral and dental health, and development of a sense of personal responsibility. The experimental program is adapted to various age groups.

  • 3
    Distribution of toothbrushes and toothpaste

    Every year, toothbrushes and toothpaste are given to every pupil in the first to ninth grades.

  • 4
    Toothbrushing instruction

    Preschool children are taught and shown how to brush their teeth correctly.

  • 5
    Applying fluoride

    A treatment for the prevention of tooth decay that is performed in preschools twice a year. The treatment is conditional on the consent of the parents when filling out the annual health statement for preschool or school.

Informing the parents and continued monitoring

  • Reporting to parents: after the checkup, parents will receive a report of the state of the pupil’s dental health.
  • Recommendation if necessary: if the checkup reveals that the teeth are not in a normal condition - the parents will receive a recommendation to contact a dental clinic for further examination and treatment.
    In exceptional cases, for example a need for urgent treatment or suspected illness, the doctor or dentist will contact the parents by phone and inform them of the situation.
  • Documentation: test results are documented at the Ministry of Health (but not sent to the HMO).
  • Monitoring: in most cases, there is no monitoring of the following dental care. In unusual cases, a doctor or dentist will monitor it on behalf of the examining body.

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