Iowa Community Action Association - School Sealant Program
Iowa Community Action Association - School Sealant Program
Northeast Iowa Community Action Corp Operation: New View Community Action Agency Operation Threshold North Iowa Community Action Organization Upper Des Moines Opportunity, Inc. Mid-Sioux Opportunity Community Action Agency of Siouxland West Central Community Action New Opportunities, Inc. MATURA Action Corporation South Central Iowa Community Action Program Des Moines Community Action Agency Red Rock Area Community Action Program Mid-Iowa Community Action Hawkeye Area Community Action Program Community Action of Eastern Iowa Community Action of Southeast Iowa Southern Iowa Economic Development Association


Last year 1,905 Iowa families reduced their heating costs through weatherization programs, and 14,363 families received financial support for emergency energy assistance (Read More).

Contribute to ICAA

SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend  

School Sealant Program

MICA's School Sealant Program provides routine dental screenings to any third and seventh grade students throughout school districts in Benton, Boone, Hardin, Marshall, Story, and Tama County. Along with a routine screening, MICA's dental hygienist applies a sealant to any tooth in need of one at no cost to the student's family. These sealants act as a barrier between bacteria and the enamel of the teeth. According to the CDC, children receiving dental sealants in school-based programs have 60% fewer new decayed pit and fissure surfaces in back teeth for up to 2-5 years after a single application.

The program also connects the families of uninsured students to dental insurance options and works with parents to make sure each student receives a checkup with a local dentist within 12 months. Referrals are made to all parents whose children's teeth are showing substantial decay. A primary goal of the School Sealant Program is to make sure that children are not only receiving checkups, but also seeking and obtaining the proper dental care their teeth require.

In 2008, the School Sealant Program provided dental checkups to 634 children, applying sealants to 1,339 teeth and referring 118 children onto further dental services within their community. The program also informed 252 parents whose children reported no dental insurance or who may be eligible for additional support of dental insurance options for their child.

For more information about MICA's School Sealant Program, contact MICA Child Health Coordinator Kate Pergande at 641-752-7162 ext. 163.