School Oral Health Preventative Program (SOHPP)

The Health PEI SOHPP provides free preventative services for ALL children from 0 to 17 years old. Preventative services are provided in most schools across the province as well as in provincial public health dental clinics located in Charlottetown, Summerside and Tignish. The SOHPP teams are made up of dental hygienists and dental assistants who will screen your child at school to determine what preventative services your child may require.

Dental health is an important part of overall health and tooth decay is one of the most common and preventable childhood diseases. The goal of the SOHPP is to help children achieve and maintain good oral health. 

Based on our screening and your consent, we may perform any of the following:

• Oral health / dental education:
  • teaches children about good dental health and how to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. The teams show children how to care for their teeth using good brushing and flossing techniques and emphasize the importance of healthy eating.
• Application of topical fluoride:
  • reduces tooth decay in children and is applied by either painting it on the teeth or using a sponge tray inserted in the child’s mouth for 1 minute.
• Scaling and/or polishing:
  • scaling helps prevent tooth decay and gum disease by removing plaque and tartar.
  • polishing uses dental paste to remove any stains.
• Application of pit and fissure sealants:
  • help prevent decay on chewing surfaces of molars. It is a thin opaque liquid that is painted onto the surface of the tooth and hardened with a light. It is a simple dental procedure that takes about two minutes per tooth. Sealants help prevent cavities by making it harder for bacteria and food to get trapped in the grooves of the back teeth.
• If an area of possible concern is observed, a note will be sent to your dentist recommending further assessment.

Information required to complete the consent form:

1. Provincial Health Card/Number (Not required, but helpful for the dental teams to have)
2. Medication Information

Consent for the initial screening portion of the SOHPP is passive, requiring active opt-out. Parents/guardians must inform the school if they want their child excluded from the screening portion of the program. This online consent is for the dental services listed above that would be performed after the child has been screened. Each team inquires at each school whether there are children whose parent/guardian declined the oral health screening.