Local dental group visits schools

LYNN-The Forsyth Institute, a dental and oral care organization, is working to increase oral health in young children by offering free dental exams to students in the city’s elementary schools.The project will run from January 2007 to June 2012, with dental exams scheduled twice each year in the spring and fall.Recently, the group paid a visit to the Lincoln Thomson elementary school to examine their students.The dentists and hygienists from the Forsyth Institute in Boston visit schools on scheduled days and teach children how to brush and clean their teeth. Each child undergoes a 10-minute examination, a little bit longer if they need fillings, and are then sent on their way with a new toothbrush and toothpaste.Along with the dental exam, the students also receive a cleaning, fluoride treatment to harden teeth and prevent cavities, a protective sealant, temporary fillings in teeth with decay, which stops cavities from getting larger until they are seen by their own dentist.All of the information goes home to the parents explaining what is done and what needs to be done by their own dentist.