Molokaʻi students receive no-cost dental services at school

For the first time, Molokaʻi students received free dental services through the Hawaiʻi Keiki: Healthy & Ready to Learn Program, a partnership between the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene and the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education.

On April 8, a team of nine dental and medical professionals from Oʻahu and Maui visited four Molokaʻi schools—Maunaloa Elementary, Kilohana Elementary, Kaunakakai Elementary and Kualapuʻu Charter School—for Dental Sealant Events. They were joined by three Molokaʻi-based Hawaiʻi Keiki health technicians who provided additional support.

About 110 students were seen, receiving dental screenings, oral health education, hygiene kits and, where needed, dental sealants, a protective treatment that helps prevent cavities. 

Addressing Hawaiʻi’s oral health issues

Hawaiʻi faces significant oral health challenges. The 2015 Hawaiʻi Smiles report found that Hawaiʻi’s children had the highest rate of dental decay in the country, and more than 60% lacked sealants on their permanent molars—increasing their risk for cavities, missed school and other health and self-esteem issues.

To combat these disparities, the Hawaiʻi Keiki–Hawaiʻi Dental Service (HDS) Dental Sealant Program was launched in 2019 through a partnership between Hawaiʻi Keiki and the HDS Foundation. Since launching on Oʻahu in 2020, the program has expanded to Maui, Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island—and now to Molokaʻi. Maui and Molokai school-based dental services are provided in partnership with Hui No Ke Ola Pono, a Maui Native Hawaiian Health Care System.

Commitment to rural underserved communities

So far, more than 5,500 keiki across Hawaiʻi have received screenings through the program. More than 60% received sealants, protecting more than 12,000 teeth. In addition, more than 220 keiki with urgent dental needs were referred for further care.

Deborah Mattheus, Hawaiʻi Keiki senior practice director and Sental Sealant Program director, said “Hosting the screenings and sealants at school has proven to be an efficient way to provide healthcare to many students at once, reduce the time and money spent by individual families, and minimize the loss of class time. Today’s event is a great example of many partners coming together to provide important dental services to these Molokaʻi kids.”

The Molokaʻi team was composed of licensed providers and Hawaiʻi Keiki staff, many of whom are UH alumni or current students from UH Mānoa, UH Maui College and the Maui-Molokaʻi CNA programs.

This latest effort was made possible by continued support from the HDS Foundation, along with in-kind donations from Kamaka Air Cargo, which transported dental equipment, and Maverick Helicopters, which offered discounted staff flights. The Hawaiʻi Department of Health’s Family Health Division also helped fund dental supplies.

“As a dental hygiene graduate from UH Mānoa, today’s event was really special for me because I was able to work alongside Dr. Amy Ogawa who also graduated from the dental hygiene program but later became a dentist,” said Gerraine Hignite, oral health program manager. “Dr. Ogawa was my teacher when I was a student and she came out of retirement to work with this program. It is so wonderful to see all of these local UH alumni providers come together to do really amazing work. The best part of today was all of the big smiles from the students.”