Dear Parents and Guardians,
Oumnia Bekhti a registered dental hygienist (RDH) with Ottawa Public Health will provide dental screening on October 1st and 2nd, 2024* for students in JK, SK, Grade 2, Grade 4 and some follow-ups as needed. If your child’s grade is not selected, but you wish for the dental hygienist to see him/her, please advise the school. (* Some date(s) may be subject to change)
The dental screening is a no-touch technique: the RDH uses a disposable tongue depressor to look at your child’s mouth. This short visual assessment helps identify the need for dental care (infection, tooth decay, broken teeth or more). Appropriate measures are in place to limit the spread of illnesses, including hand hygiene and personal protective equipment for the RDH. Afterwards, your child will be given a report to take home which will explain the results of the dental screening. Some students may need follow-up dental screenings as needed. Some families may be eligible for free dental care. THE SCREENING DOES NOT REPLACE REGULAR DENTAL VISITS WITH YOUR FAMILY DENTIST.
This dental screening is offered in accordance with the Ontario Public Health Standards, Oral Health Protocol 2021 from the Ontario Ministry of Health. Personal health information collected during the screening will be used for the purposes of delivering, administering, and managing screening services and for statistical purposes provided under Sections 5 and 7 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act (as amended) and the Ontario Public Health Standards (2018). Information may be used and shared among Ottawa Public Health authorized employees only in the provision of dental services.
Questions concerning the dental screening, how to exclude your child from the dental screening for this school year, the collection and use of this information should be directed to:
Supervisor of Dental Health Promotion
Ottawa Public Health
400-1580 Merivale Rd.
Ottawa, ON,
Tel.: 613-580-2424, ext 26376
Thank you,
Ottawa Public Health’s Dental Health Team