Will free dentistry be ignored?
City fears recent death may scare parents
A City Council committee agreed Monday to provide free dental care to an expanded group of Chicago Public School students amid concern the death of a 5-year-old girl after a dental visit could have a chilling effect on participation.
Nearly 23,000 kindergarten, second- and sixth-grade students at 353 schools took advantage of the preventative program last year. They got dental exams, cleanings, fluoride varnish treatment and sealants, plastic coatings that protect teeth from decay. For many kids, it was their first trip to the dentist.
This year, the goal is 572 schools and as many as 200,000 students, including pre-kindergarten, students in child-parent centers, third- and eighth-graders. Next year, the 20-minute dental visit will be offered to all students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.
But the tragic death of 5-year-old Diamond Brownridge could alter those ambitious plans, advanced by the Health Committee.
Diamond died last week, four days after she slipped into a coma during a trip to the dentist to get two cavities filled and caps placed on her lower front teeth.
The three-year-old school dental program does not use anesthesia or drilling. But parents frightened by Diamond's death may not read the fine print on consent forms their children bring home, said Health Committee Chairman Ed Smith (28th).
"They're not using any needles. But parents may not understand that. They might be trepidatious and simply not sign the forms. That would be a shame because it would leave children without free access to health care," Smith said.
"The Board of Education and the Health Department have to be aggressive in explaining to parents that this is necessary and children will not be at risk."
"It's just a matter of educating them -- maybe sending a [separate] letter home to the parents that says, 'The school program does not deal with anesthesia. Your child will be safe in the chair. ... That kind of thing is not going to happen in the schools,' " Burgess said.
If participation declines because of ignorance or misunderstanding, it would be a shame, she said.
"Fifty-one million school hours are lost in this country every year because of dental problems [affecting] kids. That's a lot of time. Even if they're in school and they have a toothache or rotting teeth, they're not paying attention to what's being taught. They're sitting there thinking, 'This hurts,'" Burgess said.
To win a city contract, dentists will bid on clusters of up to 27 schools, then undergo a "rigorous interview process" conducted by the oral health committee, she said.