In the Maniototo area, a mobile dental clinic provides free oral health services for children annually, including applying topical fluoride for caries prevention. However, this treatment is recommended for some children every six months, meaning parents would have to make a two-hour return trip to the Community Oral Health Service in Alexandra.
Recognising the inconvenience this poses for most families, Hannah Clark from the Community Oral Health Service collaborated with Maniototo-based Public Health Nurse (PHN), Pauline Stringer, and Victoria Bryant, Charge Nurse Manager - Te Punaka Oraka (Public Health Nursing), to launch an initiative. They decided to trial the application of topical fluoride by the local PHN with support from Hannah.
"This initiative demonstrates the collaborative effort between Te Punaka Oraka and Community Dental Service to benefit high-risk children and their whānau,” Victoria explains.
Working with Hannah, Pauline received training on fluoride varnish application. She also visited the mobile dental clinic in Ranfurly for a practical demonstration and education from the Dental Therapists.
After arranging the parents’ consent for the children and consulting with Maniototo Area School, Pauline and Hannah used the school meeting room in May as the venue to provide fluoride varnish for the children and pre-schoolers.
The process is simple - applying fluoride varnish only takes a few minutes per child. However, this initiative has the potential for lifelong benefits for children and their families. Pauline says, "It is a targeted initiative aimed at improving equity for rural children who are at high risk, rurally isolated from many services, and frequently Māori."
The children were delighted to be able to choose a sticker as a reward. The parents who attended were very positive and appreciative of the measures being taken to enhance their children’s oral health.
"It was great to see this initiative well-received by both the parents and the school. Many thanks to Hannah for initiating and supporting this enterprise," says Pauline.
“Pauline is a great advocate for her community and without her passion and commitment, we would not have been able to get this initiative established,” Hannah acknowledges.
“The Community Oral Health Service sees real potential for other rural areas using this model," she adds.
Pauline (left) and Maniototo Area School Principal, Melissa Bell.
