Contributions of the school nurse in a school dental program.

Abstract

The school nurse as the pivot about which the dental program is organized and functions': A realistic approach to the school dental health program faces us with the fact that no matter how many people in and outside the school actually participate in the program, the school nurse is primarily the one to whom every one looks, in order to start things moving and to keep them moving. Few schools have a full-time dentist, which means that the school dentist relies heavily upon the nurse to interpret his findings and help people to secure the necessary dental care. While the nurse is the chief responsible agent to see that the dental program is carried on, she cannot do this without the cooperation of the administrator and the entire teaching staff. A successful dental health program is the result of good team work between all concerned, with the nurse at the helm sending out the necessary notices to parents, fully informing teachers and administrators of the dental defects noted by the dentist, and interpreting his findings in terms of what progress they may or may not reveal. A showing by percentages of the present situation and comparing it with past records, is a helpful means of interesting pupils