Adira Vinograd, Dental Assistant/Co-Founder
Ilana Waltuch, Administrator/Co-Founder
Daniel Vinograd Dentist/Co-Founder
P royecto
O dontologico de
S elladores
I nfantiles
B eneficiando a
L imitados
E conomicamente
(Child Dental Sealant Program for the Benefit of The Economically Limited)
The general purpose of POSIBLE, a non-profit corporation, is to create simple and effective protocols for dental preventative interventions in low income communities in economically distressed countries. The program must take into account not only the lack of resources in these communities, but also the low level compliance in regards to refined sugar consumption and dental hygiene at home. According to the American Association of Pediatric Dentistry, sealants are 'safe, effective, and under-used in preventing pit and fissure caries...' and are minimally reliant on patient cooperation. In two different studies it was found that 70% (1) to 84% (4) of all decay takes place in the pits and fissures of molars. By age 8, another study shows that 93% of first permanent molars are decayed (2). Research has shown that sealants alone will reduce the decay from 55-99% depending on the study (3).
Sealants are relatively simple procedures that can de taught to auxiliary personnel. Many developing countries allow dental assistants to perform placement of sealants when under supervision of a dentist.
A pilot program will be implemented at the dental clinic in 'Nuestros Ahijados' health and education project serving approximately 4,000 children in Antigua, Guatemala.
The clinic will be furnished with two additional dental chairs simply equipped with a light and compressed air will be designated primarily as pit & fissure sealant stations. These stations will be operated by assistants from the neighboring school 'Escuela Multimedica' dental assistant department under the supervision of Dr Paul Reyes. Each assistant station has the potential to treat 30 or more children per day. Over a period of 70 days all children served by the dental clinic could be treated. A program of maintenance will be established to include checking the integrity of existing sealants and placing additional sealants as needed.
Careful records will be kept for a period of 3-5 years to assess the effectiveness of the program.
As we are able to recruit and train more assistants and secure more supplies and equipment can be implemented at a larger scale.
Every 10 assistants can potentially treat up to 6 0,000 children per year. A new protocol can then be established with the intention of creating mobile dental units that can visit the children in their schools or communities.
This program can be successful because:
1. It is based on proven models and good research
2. It does not rely on patient compliance
3. It is simple to implement
4. It uses local resources
5. It is financially viable
6. It provides the services to the children in their communities and schools
1) Eklund & Ismail, J Publ Health Dent, 1986
2) Lewis & Hargreaves, 1975
3) Buonocore, Rock, Horowitz et al, Courley, Merrill et al, Going et al, Meurman & Heiminen
4) Burt, et al IDR 67, 1988 page 19422