September 15, 1999

GRANTS AWARDED FOR DENTAL SEALANT PROGRAMS

SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Public Health has awarded $356,500 to 55 local health departments, school districts and other agencies to develop and implement preventive dental health care for schoolchildren, Dr. John R. Lumpkin, state public health director, today announced.

The grant money will make dental sealants available to more than 50,000 children 5 through17 years of age who are eligible for the free or reduced school lunch program and Medicaid. The school-based sealant program was first offered statewide in 1992.

Dental sealants are a plastic coating applied by dentists or dental hygienists to the chewing surfaces of molars and premolars. The sealants protect the deep groves and pitted surfaces on the teeth that are difficult to keep clean and are susceptible to decay. When combined with the use of fluoride, dental sealants can prevent virtually all dental decay.

The funds are available to the following local agencies beginning Oct. 1:

Adams County Health Department $6,000

Altgeld Health Center, Chicago 7,800

Bureau County Health Department 1,600

Calhoun County Health Department 800

Cass County Health Department 2,200

Catholic Charities, Springfield 3,500

Champaign County Health Department 2,800

Coles County Health Department 3,200

Community Connections, Wilmington 6,800

Community Health Partnership, Chicago20,000

Cook County Department of Public Health56,000

Crawford County Health Department 1,000

Cumberland County Health Department 1,500

Clark County Health Department 1,500

DeWitt/Piatt Bi-County Health Department 3,000

Douglas County Health Department 1,500

DuPage County Health Department38,100

East Side Health District 3,500

Edgar County Health Department 4,000

Evanston Health Department 10,000

Family Health Society, Chicago Heights 2,800

Ford/Iroquois Bi-County Health Department 2,000

Fulton County Health Department 4,300

Greene County Health Department 1,200

Hancock County Health Department 6,000

Henry County Health Department 2,000

Jacksonville, Regional Office of Education #46 3,200

Jamieson Community Center, Monmouth 1,600

Jersey County Health Department 1,000

Kane County Health Department 2,800

Knox County Health Department 4,800

Lake County Health Department 30,000

Logan County Health Department 2,000

Macon County Health Department 11,000

Macoupin County Health Department 4,500

Marshall County Health Department 800

Mason County Health Department 2,000

McDonough County Health Department 5,700

McHenry County Health Department 3,000

McLean County Health Department 7,700

Mercer County Health Department 1,000

Montgomery County Health Department 1,000

Oak Park Department of Public Health 2,800

Peoria City/County Health Department25,000

Pike County Health Department 3,500

Ravenswood Comm. Mental Health Center, Chicago 2,800

Rock Island County Health Department 9,000

Stephenson County Health Department 1,600

Springfield, Regional Office of Education #51 2,800

Tazewell County Health Department 9,000

University of Illinois, Chicago 5,000

Wayne County Health Department 1,000

Whiteside County Health Department 3,200

Winnebago County Health Department10,000

Wood River Township Hospital 5,000

TOTAL 356,500

Illinois Department of Public Health 535 West Jefferson Street Springfield, Illinois 62761 Phone 217-782-4977 Fax 217-782-3987 TTY 800-547-0466 Questions or Comments