Health educators from The L.A. Trust go back to school

The L.A. Trust and Beyond the Bell have distributed more than 100,000 toothbrushes and other donated oral healthcare items to students and family members as part of Operation Tooth Fairy.

Los Angeles Unified School students are back on campus — and so are oral healthcare educators from The L.A. Trust. 

Program Manager Esther Yepez and her kid-friendly puppet Billy visited Logan Street Elementary School in the Echo Park section of Los Angeles May 5. It’s the first of nine such trainings sponsored by a grant from QueensCare. 

“Students were extremely excited to learn about the importance of why we brush our teeth and how cavities are formed,” Yepez said. “They learned about the germ called plaque that causes cavities.” 

Good to be back 

Yepez and Billy addressed four classes — one transitional kindergarten class, two kindergarten classes and one first-grade class. A total of 78 students received the instruction along with oral healthcare kits containing toothbrushes and Sesame Street brochures.  

Executive Director Maryjane Puffer of The L.A. Trust said, “It’s good to be back in the classroom, teaching good oral healthcare habits to our kids.”  

The L.A. Trust’s oral healthcare mission has continued during the pandemic, Puffer noted.  Operation Tooth Fairy distributed more than $455,000 in supplies; The L.A. Trust’s kid-friendly oral health campaign on KLCS and social media reached an audience of more than 1.5 million. 

The campaign has made celebrities out of Yepez and Billy. One student in the hallway recognized the pair from their appearances on KLCS. They appeared on the L.A. Unified TV station 150 times during the pandemic. 

Dental disease starts young, so should oral healthcare

Brushter, Gumster and Toothster are the spokes-characters of L.A. County’s “Love Your Baby’s Teeth” campaign, which launched on multiple media outlets last month.

Oral health advocates from public agencies, private foundations, community groups and L.A. Unified explored how to improve children’s dental care starting at an early age at The L.A. Trust’s quarterly Oral Health Advisory Board meeting March 16.

Dr. Abrey Daniel of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health introduced the county’s extensive new Love Your Baby’s Teeth education campaign, launched during Children’s Dental Health Month in February. The campaign features TV, radio, PR and social media.

Daniel said one-quarter of L.A. children age 2 to 4 have tooth decay, and 55% of all lower-income children have dental disease, which is more prevalent in Black and Latinx communities.

“Families where Spanish is (mainly) spoken are at the greatest risk” in L.A. County, Daniel said.

The county’s multilingual campaign includes heavy use of Spanish-language media, and features such elements as dental office posters, bus shelter ads, exam table paper with campaign messages, and giveaway mirror clings to remind kids to floss and brush. The campaign has already reached hundreds of thousands.

Smile, California

Dr. Puja Shah, Medi-Cal outreach consultant, reviewed the California Department of Health Care Services’ “Smile, California” campaign, designed to build awareness and use of the benefits available from Medi-Cal Dental.

The tagline of the campaign is “Medi-Cal Has Dental Covered.” Key messages include getting a child’s first check up by their first birthday; seal today to prevent decay; and Medi-Cal covers dental during pregnancy. The comprehensive outreach includes robust websites in Spanish and English connecting patients and providers, a partner program enlisting community groups and a toolkit with materials for children and family members.

 Shah also noted that the agency was improving its online complaint system so patients can report providers who refuse them care.

More outreach and updates

Cynthia Cervantes, Oral Health Collaborative Consortium liaison from the UCLA School of Dentistry, gave an update on the consortium, which is funded the California Department of Public Health’s Office of Oral Health.

Cervantes stated that the mission of the OHCC is to “support and facilitate the implementation of the L.A. County Community Oral Health Strategic Plan (COHIP) throughout L.A. County through community outreach and leadership in each of four Mega Service Planning Areas. She gave examples of outreach at faith-based organizations, Los Angeles Public Library branches, medical clinics and daycare centers. The consortium will host Oral Health Summits in 2021 and 2022.

Susan Flores, senior policy coordinator from the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, updated OHAB members on Medi-Cal dental appointments during the pandemic. The decreases in monthly appointments ranged from 437,898 in April 2020 to 129,114 last August, the most recent numbers available.

Flores also urged support for two California Assembly bills under consideration. AB526 would allow dentists to vaccinate for Covid and flu, potentially increasing healthcare equity.  AB733 would help expand access to oral healthcare for children and those pregnant enrolled in Medi-Cal by allowing registered dental hygienists to partner with medical professionals to provide fluoride treatments and oral health education and coordinate dental care. It is similar to a bill signed last year (AB890) that allowed physician assistants to perform more oral healthcare.

Gloria Velasquez, organization facilitator for L.A. Unified’s Student Health and Human Services, gave a briefing on school re-openings, including health and testing protocols and the hybrid teaching model.

Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The L.A. Trust, sounded an optimistic note at the close of the meeting. “The important thing is that nobody stopped working.” She pointed to expanded outreach on social media, TV and video, and events like The L.A. Trust’s ongoing Operation Tooth Fairy, which has distributed more than 58,000 toothbrushes to date. The next meeting of The L.A. Trust’s Oral Health Advisory Board will be held in person or online June 15 in accordance with health directives.

The L.A. Trust takes action in Children’s Dental Health Month

Los Angeles School Board Member Scott Schmerelson and The L.A. Trust’s Tooth Fairy  Maryjane Puffer brought brushes, toothpaste and healthcare info to Columbus Middle School February 10.

The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health launched a public oral health awareness campaign and distributed 58,000 toothbrushes plus other oral care items in observance of National Children’s Dental Health Month in February.

“Poor oral health is the number one cause of school absenteeism – and it’s entirely preventable,” said Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The L.A. Trust. Screenings of 3,399 elementary school students in Los Angeles found that 66% of children had active dental disease, 27% had visible tooth decay and 6% required emergency care.

Puffer said The L.A. Trust is working closely with its partners in the oral health community, including L.A. Unified Student Health and Human Services, LAUSD’s Beyond the Bell division, UCLA’s More LA Smiles, the L.A. County Department of Public Health and other agencies, foundations and dental care providers. Puffer gave special thanks to Crest, which provided toothpaste to go with the thousand of brushes being distributed.

Prevention campaign

Los Angeles School Board member Scott Schmerelson took The L.A. Trust’s Brushing with Billy campaign direct to kids during an online Local District “Twinkle Time” February 3, using the puppet to show young students how to brush, floss and eat right.

“Improving the health and lives of all L.A Unified students and providing access to oral healthcare is a critical element to ensuring student achievement and success,” Schmerelson said. “As we celebrate National Children’s Dental Health Month, we are grateful for our partnership with The L.A. Trust and will continue to support their oral health awareness initiative so our students can stay healthy and benefit from a wealth of resources.”

ORAL HEALTH RESOURCES FROM THE L.A. TRUST

The L.A. Trust is releasing three oral health videos on social media this month. The “Brushing with Billy” videos feature Program Manager Esther Yepez and the kid-friendly puppet. The spots, which focus on brushing, flossing and healthy eating, have been aired 150 times on KLCS-TV, reaching an estimated viewership of more than 1.1 million.

The L.A. Trust also facilitated the broadcast of UCLA More LA Smiles oral health TV spots starring Sesame Street characters, which will be shown on KLCS remote learning channels through February. 

“People don’t understand the disease process when it comes to cavities – it’s insidious,” said Dr. Jim Crall, project director of More LA Smiles. Simple changes in student behavior can make a big difference and education is key, he said.

“Prevention is key to oral health and that includes screenings and education,” Puffer said. “The pandemic has transformed our oral health education activities but not our commitment. We will continue to use every means at our disposal to ensure that kids and teens enjoy the best possible oral health during this pandemic.”

SHHS Organization Facilitator Gloria Velasquez noted that seven Wellness Centers and school-based health clinics are currently providing partial or full oral health services for students and community members: El Sereno Middle School (Western Dental); Hart Street Elementary School (Dr. Samoha); Jefferson Wellness Center (South Central Family Health Center); Maclay and Sun Valley Middle Schools (NEVHC); Monroe (Valley Community Health, appointment only); and Washington Prep Wellness Center (St. John’s Family and Wellness Center). Call ahead for an appointment.

Preventing cavities on Halloween (and all year long)

No one wants to take the treats out of Trick or Treat this Halloween. Least of all Maryjane Puffer, executive director of the L.A. Trust for Children’s Health and L.A.’s own “Tooth Fairy.” Puffer and her team at The L.A. Trust are dedicated to preserving the oral health of nearly 600,000 students in the L.A. Unified School District. “We see the damage that candy and sugary drinks can do. But there are ways to reduce cavities and still have fun.”

Puffer cites the American Pediatric Dental Association, which said that adults should limit what they give out (and kids should limit what they consume). Sticky, chewy and acidic candies are especially bad. Chocolate, pretzels, chips and sugar-free gum are better. And non-edible treats like temporary tattoos, stickers and toothbrushes are best.

The sky should not be the limit, according to The L.A. Tooth Fairy and the APDA. You can screen your child’s bag and trade up to a toy, or give excess candy to the Halloween Fairy to share with someone else.

The L.A. Trust has an entire team devoted to oral health in the sprawling Los Angeles Unified community and works in full partnership with LAUSD Student Health and Human Services staff along with university and community providers. The L.A. Trust team, spearheaded by Associate Program Director Stella Kim and Program Manager Esther Yepez, focuses on underserved areas, conducting events at dozens of elementary schools and screening thousands of kids.

Oral health a social justice issue

“The need is great,” Kim says. “About 50% of children screened have evidence of decay – a significant number have emergencies like abscesses or broken teeth.” Kim and Yepez use puppets with teeth and oversize toothbrushes to demonstrate proper brushing to the kids, but oral health is not all fun and games. “Oral health is essential to learning,” Kim said. “It is the most chronic disease in children, and it’s entirely preventable.” It’s estimated that an average of 2.2 school days per student per year could be saved by better oral health treatment.

DentaQuest, one of the nation’s largest dental benefits organizations, is the lead funder of The L.A. Trust’s oral health initiative. “Without their generous assistance we could not make a difference in the lives of so children,” Puffer said.

The L.A. Trust is looking forward to its annual Tooth Fairy Event at LAUSD’s 5K and Health & Wellness Festival, February 22 at Dodger Stadium. The festival attracts thousands of students and their families each year — top healthcare providers from Los Angeles and the nation will attend this premier outreach event.