Maybe you’ve heard the words… “Sealant Program” and you’ve wondered… what is that??The Sealant Program is an ongoing study and pilot project formed by Great Shape! Inc. to create sustainability in dental health care for Jamaicans.
Let’s get more specific…
Several years ago, volunteers from the 1000 Smiles Dental Project gathered around the bar and beaches at Sandals Resorts in Jamaica to discuss the project. They mentioned how effective sealants were at the Cave Valley and Kendall children’s clinics at preventing cavities. It was this realization that sparked an agreement: we need to start a sealant project to make a longer lasting difference in the oral health of the people we come to help every year.
A sealant committee was formed, and after a lot of planning and some high-level meetings with the Jamaican Ministry of Health, the Sealant Program was launched in 2010. The program, officially called the School Based Preventative Oral Health Program, is an effort to sustainably prevent cavities and create healthy smiles.
The mission of the sealant project is remarkable: to reduce the number of cavities in Jamaican school-aged children in half for just a few dollars per child! With this goal in mind, we hope to reduce pain and suffering, reduce absenteeism, save hundreds of dollars per child in restorative and urgent care, improve nutrition, improve self esteem, improve employment opportunities, improve children’s overall health, and in some cases even prevent death. The method? To provide sealants, fluoride, and education to every child in Jamaica.
To achieve this goal, we are partnering with the people of Jamaica to design and implement a model that will eventually be completely funded and run by the Jamaican government. Our broader vision is to see this program become a global model for other developing countries to follow.
As volunteers began the project in 2010, they received an opportunity to partner with Green Island Primary School, allowing them to put their goals in action and test the pilot model. These volunteers have been returning to the same school each year since then to follow up on the success of the sealants.
The Jamaican Ministry of Health is also supporting the research by providing local dental professionals to work alongside our volunteers. In doing so, our plan is to have the Jamaican government take sole responsibility for this school-based oral healthcare program and create sustainability.
The program is currently collaborated between Ministry of Health teams, Great Shape! Inc., and The Sandals Foundation. Through these strong partnerships, we are reaching out to Jamaican schools and offering sealant treatment to children free of charge! Once proper funding is secured, we anticipate the Sealant Program to reach every school in Jamaica, as well as be implemented in other developing countries around the world. Given there is only 1 dentist for every 100,000 people in Jamaica, this would be an incredible accomplishment!
The Sealant Program is evidence that Great Shape! volunteers truly know how to make a vision become a reality. Thank you to those who have made it happen and to those who have been participating in the program, you are a blessing to Great Shape!
To anyone else interested, we need your help in developing our program, furthering research, and most importantly, bringing care and joy to a smile. In 2012 there will be two sessions that will focus solely on sealants in Jamaica.
- Spring Session: May 25 – June 4
- Fall Session: October 26 – November 5
To apply for one of these sessions visit gsjamaica.org, you won’t regret it!