By Rebecca Rider

rebecca.rider@salisburypost.com

GRANITE QUARRY — A grant awarded to Granite Quarry Elementary School will provide 80 students with needed, prophylactic dental care.

Jennifer Russell, school nurse at Granite Quarry Elementary, said she applied for the grant back in June when she noticed a need among local students.

“We had some students here at the school who had dental needs and we didn’t have funding for it,” she said.

The $4,000 grant was awarded by the Delta Dental Foundation as part of their Smiles for Kids program. The money will cover a cleaning, X-rays and sealants for 80 students who lack dental homes or the finances for proper dental care. Curtis Ladig, CEO of Delta Dental of North Carolina, said that 21 percent of kindergarteners in Rowan County showed tooth decay, which is 60 percent higher than the state average.

“Tooth decay is the most common preventable disease among children, and we want to do something about it,” he said.

And while Rowan County has put forth a great effort in improving dental care, Ladig said, adding more funds to its dental health budget and increasing examinations for at-risk children by 92 percent, there is still a need to be met.

And proper dental care can mean a proper education. Children who aren’t reading on grade level by fourth grade are more likely to drop out, Ladig said. A child experiencing tooth pain may have low self-esteem and difficulty concentrating, resulting in bad classroom performance.

“It’s all important. We’ve got to improve our health to improve our education,” he said.

Russell and State Dental Hygienist Debbie Kreugar will begin identifying 80 Granite Quarry students who have dental care needs, beginning with third-graders. Russell said that they chose to offer the service beginning with third graders because by then, most kids have lost all their baby teeth.

“That can provide the best care for them,” Russell said. “That would provide the most benefit.”

Ladig, along with representative Harry Warren, R-77, presented the grant Monday to Granite Quarry Elementary. Rowan-Salisbury School System Board of Education Chairman Josh Wagner attended.

Contact reporter Rebecca Rider at 704-797-4264.