High school students across Grey Bruce will soon be hearing more about a dental program available to those in need.
The Grey Bruce Health Unit has received almost 19-thousand dollars from the province to promote the expansion of the Children In Need Of Treatment program, or CINOT.
Program Manager of Oral Health Services Carrie Griffith explains CINOT provides essential treatment for children whose parents who cannot afford it and who do not have any dental insurance.
Griffith says the program was originally only available for children up to 12 years old, but at the start of 2009 it was extended to cover children up the age of 17.
She says the provincial grant will be used to promote that fact and make sure the children who need the program are aware of it.
Griffith says they’ll be working with co-op students to develop advertising methods that are sure to reach a youth market, such as Facebook and other Internet ads.
Griffith says while the expansion and the money to promote it is great, this does pose potential problems for the Health Unit.
She says the first year of the expanded part of the program is being completed covered by the province and the Grey Bruce Health Unit received just under 95-thousand dollars.
But starting in 2010, the Health Unit will have to cover 25 per cent of the expanded program, as they already do for the original program for kids up to 12 years old.
Griffith also adds that some of the older children now new to the program may not have had any dental treatments at all in recent years and may require more work.
Griffith says they will need to find more money in the budget next year, especially if they are promoting the CINOT program and more children begin using it.
However, Griffith reminds us that fostering good oral health now will be cheaper in the long run.