NIH grant aids research on school-based dental programs

Christina Scherrer, a Kennesaw State University researcher, studies the effectiveness of school-based dental health programs in reducing tooth decay in elementary age children. Scherrer is now expanding her research to middle school students through a grant recently funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Scherrer believes school-based dental programs are important, especially in communities where parents may not have access to a dentist for their children. The researchers will use the $400,000 NIH grant to examine data on children's teeth and survey school sealant program directors and state oral health directors around the U.S. to determine how they use sealant programs.