Nebraska Administrative Code › Topic - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SYSTEM › Title 173 - CONTROL OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASE › Chapter 7 - SCHOOL HEALTH SCREENING, PHYSICAL EXAMINATION AND VISUAL EVALUATION › Attachment 173-7-2E - DENTAL SCREENING COMPETENCIES

Current through June 17, 2024
DENTAL SCREENING COMPETENCIES
Essential Steps for Accurate Measurement
COMPETENCY
KEY POINTS
1. Plan for a smooth flowing screening activity:
								Notify families of dental screening day. Plan logistics of student flow.
Coordinate scheduling of dental screening with
								building administrators and teachers. If efficiently organized for traffic
								flow, each inspection will take one minute or less.
If available, for infection control purposes, team
								each screener with a person to record results of inspection for each
								student.
Try to avoid screening immediately after a meal or
								snack. If necessary offer sugar free gum to help remove food particles before
								screening.
2. Assemble necessary supplies and
								equipment:
* Good light source (flashlight or goose- necked
								lamp)
* Gloves
* Single-use disposable tongue blades
								(optional),
* Trash can with liner,
* Alcohol-based sanitizer.
* Student roster, pen, and writing surface
								alternative method for recording results.
A good light source is essential: An LED light
								source is preferred!
Tongue blades are used to move tongue or cheek as
								needed to see teeth; discard after each student, and used at the discretion of
								the screener.
3. Glove, or prepare for "no-touch"
								screening.
Gloves are not required unless contact is to be
								made with student's skin, lips, teeth, or saliva. Most dental inspections will
								not necessitate physical contact.
Change gloves as needed between students or after
								coming into contact with anything that has touched skin, lips, teeth, or
								saliva.
Masks are optional at the discretion of the
								screener.
Hand sanitizer or hand washing between students is
								strongly recommended if contact occurs, and/or between glove changes.
Prepare for proper disposal of all contaminated
								materials.
4. The examiner positions him or herself in a
								comfortable face-to-face position with the child.
The child bares teeth for inspection of outer
								surfaces.
Have the child open mouth as wide as possible for
								inspection of chewing and inner surfaces of teeth. Child lifts and moves tongue
								so screener can see inner, outer, and top surfaces of all teeth, or screener
								may use tongue blade to gently maneuver tongue.
Utilizing light source, observe teeth for
								irregularities:
* areas where teeth are eroded or not the usual
								shape,
* unusually-colored teeth: severe
								discoloration
Look for gross, obvious problems in this brief
								visual inspection.
See color plate examples of significant findings
								for comparison.
5. Record results.
Assign student to one of the following
								categories:
0 = no obvious irregularities of the teeth
1 = observable irregularities with the teeth in one
								or two areas. Parents are notified of need for further dental care.
2 = observable irregularities with the teeth in
								three or more areas. Parents notified of need for further dental care.
Indicate location of areas of concern by quadrant
								(upper right, lower right, upper left, lower left) - oriented to the student's
								right and left sides.
Incidental observations about the gums or oral
								mucosa are noted and reported to the school nurse or communicated to parents at
								the screeners' discretion.
Note date, and name of qualified screener.
6. Carry out rescreen and notification procedures
								per local school practice/policy.
Parents are notified of the need for further
								evaluation for "1" and "2" results.
Urgent notifications should be made to parents
								if/when there are severe changes to any teeth, any complaints of mouth or tooth
								pain, and/or any areas of apparent swelling or drainage, indicating possible
								active infection or injury.
Additional information and resources are available from the
				  DHHS School Health Program, 402-471-1373.