Dental Care for Foster Children

When foster children move from home to home, their dental care can slip through the cracks.

Children are supposed to receive a dental screening within 30 days of being placed in a new foster home — but that’s a requirement that few foster parents are aware of and fewer can meet.

But that’s something that three students in the Pacific University School of Dental Hygiene Studies want to change. Seniors in the bachelor’s degree program are required to complete a capstone project, one that addresses a community need and offers a sustainable solution.

Jana Ayco DHS ’16, Bree Bower DHS ’16 and Jasmin Mitchell DHS ’16 have developed an online course for foster parents — one that fits into the required 36 hours of continuing education that foster parents must complete each year.

“It lets them know about (the requirements) and how they can improve children’s health with fluoride, sealants, and regular brushing and flossing,” the students said.