Dental hygiene and dental accidents policy.

DENTAL HYGIENE and

DENTAL ACCIDENTS POLICY

Aim: Dental hygiene is an important aspect of the Centre's overall hygiene policy. We must encourage the children to include dental care as part of the normal routine.

Implementation

1. Encourage the children to eat a balanced diet, including fresh fruit and vegetables, and avoiding sugary foods.

2. Our Centre will arrange for dental health professionals to attend the service to discuss good dental health practices and guidelines with educators, children, and family members.

3. Information on dental hygiene will be made available in the home languages of the families and educators at the Centre.

4. Through our educational program we will incorporate educative information and guidelines on good dental health practices into the routine. This will include information on tooth brushing, tooth friendly snacks and drinks and visiting the dentist.

5. Our Centre will actively encourage good dental health practices including eating and drinking habits, tooth brushing and going to the dentist.

6. Children will be encouraged to drink water throughout the day.

7. Educators and staff will supervise each child "swishing and swallowing" (rinsing their mouths) with water after they have finished their lunch, meals and snacks to dislodge any food particles from their teeth.

8. Family members should be informed immediately concerning an incident or suspected injury or issue with their child's dental health which may include teeth and gums, gum swelling, infection in the mouth, or problems, pain or discomfort the child has with chewing, eating or swallowing food or drink.

9. Educators will be aware of dental first aid and receive appropriate professional opportunities where appropriate.

Dental Accidents

If a dental accident occurs at the centre, the following will occur:

For baby teeth:

• Do not try and replace the tooth in child’s mouth

• If unsure whether the tooth is an adult or baby tooth, store tooth in milk, sterile saline or child’s saliva as outlined below (enough to cover the whole tooth.)

• Seek dental advice as soon as possible (ie immediately) and ensure staff or the parent takes the tooth/tooth fragment to the dentist with the child.

For permanent teeth:

• If tooth is dirty, gently rinse the tooth/tooth fragments in clean milk, or if unavailable, sterile saline or child/adult’s saliva (eg get them to spit into cup) for a few seconds to remove excess dirt and blood. Do not rinse with water.

• Handle the tooth by its crown (the white enamel top part of the tooth), not its root and be careful not to rub off the endothelial fragments on the root of the tooth as these are needed for the tooth to take if replaced by the dentist.

• If child/adult can be relied on not to swallow their tooth, replace tooth back into the socket. (Ensure the tooth is replaced the correct way round, in its original position, using the other teeth next to it as a guide). Hold the tooth in place by gently biting on a clean handkerchief or gauze pad.

• If unable to reinsert the tooth, get the child/adult to hold the tooth inside the mouth next to the cheek or place the tooth in clean milk, sterile saline, or wrap in plastic wrap with some of the person’s saliva if these unavailable. Do not store in water. Do not transport the tooth in a tissue or cloth as this will dry the tooth out.

• Seek dental advice as soon as possible and ensure you or the family takes the child to the dentist with the tooth/tooth fragments within 30 minutes, as the root endothelial layer begins to deteriorate after 30 minutes.

• If the tooth has been in contact with dirt or soil, advise the family that tetanus prophylaxis may be required and advise them to consult with both their dentist and doctor.

Sourced: Australian Dental Association

Dental Injury: Healthdirect Australia

Dental injuries – knocked out, chipped or cracked teeth: BetterHealth VIC

This policy is the property of Eikoh Seminar Australia Pty Limited and must not be reproduced without the consent of management.