Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile
School-Based Oral Health Prevention Services
We want all children in Wisconsin to have access to high-quality, school-based oral health prevention services. Dental sealants prevent 80% of cavities in back teeth, where 9 in 10 cavities occur. Sealants are a quick, easy and painless way to prevent most cavities children get and they can be applied by a dentist or dental hygienist at your child’s school. Applying sealants in schools saves your child time away from class and prevents your child from developing cavities which can cause pain, discomfort, and make eating or concentrating in class difficult. In Wisconsin, 1 in 5 children in third grade has an untreated dental disease which is preventable.
Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile (SAS) is a collaborative effort between the Alliance, Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Delta Dental of Wisconsin. The program’s mission is to improve the oral health of Wisconsin children by providing school-based dental sealants. SAS grantees include dentists, dental hygienists, schools, hospitals, local health departments, community health centers, non-profit agencies and free clinics.
Sign up your child to receive dental sealants and other preventive services at school. If your school does not have a Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile program, encourage the school to participate.
Dental sealants prevent 80% of cavities in back teeth, where the majority of cavities occur.
The program’s mission is to improve the oral health of Wisconsin children by providing school-based dental sealants.
1 in 5 third-graders have untreated tooth decay.
Sign up your child to receive dental sealants and other preventive services at school. If your school does not have a Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile program, encourage the school to participate.
Resources & Tools for Seal-A-Smile Grantees
Thank you for participating in Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile. These resources will assist you through the planning and implementation of your school-based sealant program.
This guide provides policies and procedures to create consistency across all programs.
Use this checklist to ensure your program is following appropriate infection control guidelines.
Promotional Flyers
Inform families of dental care taking place during school.
Resources for Offering Seal-A-Smile Services at Your Local School(s)
Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile is one of the nation’s premier school-based dental sealant programs. Nearly 40 programs across Wisconsin are awarded funding annually. These programs provide school-based services to more than 50,000 children. Learn how to select a school-based oral health provider for your community and read about the amazing work of our current Seal-A-Smile grantees.
Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile Activity Map
View the proportion of high-risk schools served by Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile programs during 2018–2019.
Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile Awardees
See a list of current Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile programs providing school-based preventive oral health services across the state.
Selecting a School-Based Program
Is your school is looking to identify a school-based oral health provider? This guide can help you ask the right questions to select a high-quality and reputable program.
ADA Championing Oral Health in Schools
Use these resources to advocate for oral health in schools.
Seal-A-Smile is Growing!
Check back soon to learn about available Seal-A-Smile programs that are hiring dental professionals.
Contact Our Staff
Jenna Linden, RDH, CDHC
Project Leader
Oral Health
(414) 337-4576
jlinden@childrenswi.org
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State and national oral health news, legislative updates, events, and resources sent to subscribers monthly.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Oral Health Program (OHP) has received funding from state general purpose revenue (GPR) and Delta Dental of Wisconsin to support the Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile (SAS) program. The Alliance is contracted by DHS to administer the SAS program. The Alliance and OHP work collaboratively to manage the entire program. Funding is awarded annually in July and request for proposals are released in April.
