Dental Services

       DIXIE PREVENTATIVE HEALTH CENTER  
       COMMUNITY CARE PROGRAM  
       KENTUCKY CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM (KCHIP)  
     “LET’S SEAL JEFFERSON COUNTY” PROGRAM 


Some Tips to Keep Children’s Smiles Healthy 

Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness joins with the Louisville Dental Society in offering these tips for parents and caregivers:

  • Take your child to see the dentist regularly, beginning by the child’s first birthday. This should be a positive dental experience for the child, as there are likely to be no problems at that early time! 
  • Put only tap water in a child’s naptime or bedtime bottle. Louisville’s tap water is fluoridated for the protection of your child’s teeth. Do not give your child bottled or filtered water, as the fluoride content may be inadequate for preventing cavities in your child’s teeth.
  • Start cleaning in the child’s mouth as soon as the first tooth appears, which is usually at the age of six months.  Use a small piece of gauze moistened with tap water.
  • Use a small toothbrush with a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste starting at age 2 or 3. Rinse the toothpaste out with a small piece of gauze moistened with water.  Do not let the child swallow the paste.
  • Begin flossing when two teeth begin to touch.
  • Brush and floss your child’s teeth daily until the child can be taught to do this alone. Make sure you and/or your child uses only a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste, and then rinses and spits when finished.
  • Make certain your child gets regular fluoride treatments needed for decay-resistant teeth from the dentist.
  • Ask you dentist about sealants, a thin protective plastic barrier that shields the chewing surface of back teeth against tooth decay. These can be applied to both the baby teeth and the permanent teeth.         
     

DIXIE PREVENTATIVE HEALTH CENTER
7219 DIXIE HIGHWAY
SOUTHWEST GOVERNMENT CENTER
LOUISVILLE, KY  40258
937-7277

The Department of Public Health and Wellness has one dental clinic and patients are charged according to a sliding fee scale.  When the patient goes for the first time they need to take proof of income.

COMMUNITY  CARE PROGRAM
The University of Louisville School of Dentistry

This program is funded partly by the Louisville Metro Department of Health and Wellness and helps individuals of low income get dentures and some extractions. This program is also based on your income. They also provide  one time emergency care to those patients who qualify according to income.   

Services may be obtained at:
University of Louisville School of Dentistry
501 South Preston Street (corner of Preston and Muhammad Ali) 
Louisville, KY 40202                                          
Phone: (502) 852-5096


KENTUCKY  CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM (KCHIP)

This program is also instrumental in helping children with low income families ((birth to 19 years of age). The phone number to call for more information on this program is:  1-877-524-4718

 
“LET’S  SEAL  JEFFERSON COUNTY” PROGRAM

This is a community based program to educate the public concerning the importance of dental sealants. Its aim is to provide dental sealants to children attending schools in underserved regions of the county and at other community sites. The program is Free to the children.  

Dental sealants are plastic coatings that are applied to the biting surfaces of the back teeth (usually in children & teenagers) to protect them against cavities

“Let’s Seal Jefferson County” is a partnership of four major organizations: the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness, the Louisville Dental Society, the University of Louisville School of Dentistry and Jefferson County Public Schools.

Since its inception in 1998 this program has provided 2,556 sealants to 919 children.

Since the equipment is portable it can be moved from place to place or school to school. For more information please call the Dental Program at the Health Department 574-6688.

 

Other Dental Program Activities
 

Children & Hospitals Month

March is the designated time for this program. U of L dental, hygiene and nursing students work with the Health Department’s Dental Program and local dentists at a special dental booth in the lobby of the Kosair Hospital. Thousands of preschool and kindergarten children visit the hospital during this time to learn the importance of brushing, flossing, what kind and how much toothpaste to use, what kind of water to drink, foods that are good and bad for the teeth and when to visit the dentist.

Dental Expo

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. The Department of Public Health and Wellness' Dental Program joins forces with University of Louisville School of Dentistry and the Louisville Dental Society to provide educational information to the children at the Louisville Science Center. Over the last 18 years thousands of children, parents and teachers have been benefited from  this very worthwhile program.

RESULTS

The LMPHW worked with 200 volunteers in 24 community and corporate organizations on a variety of health promotion activities, some of which are described above.  We publicize our efforts through 20 promotional outlets, including all of the major television and newspaper media in the area, reaching 400,000 individuals. We distribute free material to schools, nursing students, health fairs, state fairs, day care centers, adult nursing homes, etc.

In conjunction with the University of Louisville School of Dentistry and the LMPHW we have available 10 page instruction sheets that begin with the child’s first teeth on to the care of adults. These very informative sheets are available by calling the Dental Program at 574-6688.