Preventive Oral Health services are located at the following Portland
schools:Reiche Elementary School - Mondays 9:00-3:00
Riverton Elementary School for Riverton students - Mondays 9:00-3:00
**Riverton Dental Clinic (citywide clinic) - Wednesdays 8:00-3:00
King Middle School - Tuesdays 8:30-2:30 and Thursdays 8:30-2:30 (as
needed)
West School - Tuesdays 8:00-1:00 (as needed)
Lyseth Elementary and Lyman Moore Middle School - Tuesdays 9:00-3:00 (as
needed)
Longfellow Elementary School - Tuesdays 9:00-3:00 (as needed)
Ocean Avenue Elementary School - Tuesdays 9:00-3:00 (as needed)
Presumpscot Elementary School – Tuesdays 9:00-3:00 (as needed)
Hall Elementary School – Tuesdays 9:00-3:00 (as needed)
Portland High School - Wednesdays 8:00-2:00
East End Community School - Thursdays 9:00-3:00
Deering High School - Fridays 8:00-2:00
Casco Bay High School – Thursdays 8:00-2:00 (as needed)
**The Riverton Dental Health Clinic is open to children from schools
not listed above, not yet enrolled in school, or children outside of Portland.
children's oral health program
The Children’s Oral Health Program (COHP) offers preventive oral
health services and oral health education to children 0-18 living in the greater
Portland area. The primary goal of this program is to ensure that all students
have access to care and a dental home.
School-Based Health Centers offer health
services, which include the following preventive oral health services:
- screenings
- cleanings
- fluoride
- sealants
- oral health education.
School Based Dental Clinics offer oral health services only
and are located at Hall, Longfellow, Lyseth, Ocean Ave, Presumpscot, Reiche,
Riverton, and Moore.
Dental screenings and sealants are offered at Peaks Island School and Lincoln
Middle School.
- Oral Health Screenings help to identify children who are in need
of dental care. Free screenings are offered to all kindergarten students in
Portland schools.
- Dental prophylaxis (cleanings) typically involves polishing the
teeth and flossing to remove plaque and stain. Some older children may need
to have calculus (tartar) removed with a dental instrument.
- Fluoride varnish is applied to teeth to make the enamel stronger
and more resistant to the bacteria that cause decay.
- Dental sealants are an effective, safe, and easy way to prevent
decay. A thin white coating is applied to the grooves of the molars, sealing
off the areas that are most likely to decay. Sealants are offered to all
students, on site, in qualifying schools and the Riverton Dental Clinic. The
sealant material used is BPA free according to the manufacturer.
Other COHP Services:
- COHP is a resource for school nurses and teachers for oral health
education providing “totes by grade” which contain curriculum, videos,
props for hands-on learning, and recommended projects and games for the
classroom.
- The COHP also includes case management services, pairing children with
unmet dental needs with a dentist. Community Health Promotion Specialists
assist families with language barriers, transportation, and other issues
that may make necessary follow-up care difficult. Please call (207) 541-6627
if you need help finding a dentist.
- The COHP works with Opportunity Alliance to offer important early
preventive dental services to Head Start children in Cumberland County.
- The COHP staff, along with generous community volunteers, also
operates a clinic, Bright Smiles, one evening a month to provide free
dental treatment for uninsured children with unmet dental needs.
- Bright Smiles is located at 640 Brighton Avenue. Children enrolled in
any of the COHP school programs may be eligible for these services. Please
call (207) 541-6627 for more information.
- The COHP works together with the Adult Oral Health Program, other
programs within the Public Health Division, and area agencies to offer
community screenings, health fairs, and educational forums. If you would
like more information, please call (207) 541-6628 or email Vanessa Woodward
at VWN@portlandmaine.gov
For more information about the Children’s Oral Health Program, please contact
Kathy Martin, Children’s Oral Health Program Coordinator at (207) 541-6628 or
email KMARTIN@portlandmaine.gov
Did you know?
- Oral health can affect overall health.
- Dental decay is the most common childhood disease – five times more
common than asthma!
- Dental disease is transmissible, often between caregivers and children
- Dental disease is almost entirely preventable.
- Dental decay with pain and infection can make it hard for children to
learn. It accounts for thousands of hours of lost school time.
- Prevention saves money and time. It’s less expensive and easier than
treatment. Fluoride and sealants are great ways to protect teeth.
- It’s important to brush morning and night, and floss once a day.
- It’s important for parents to help kids brush their teeth until they are
8 years old.
