Molokai students receive no-cost dental services at school

For the first time ever, the Hawaii Keiki: Healthy & Ready to Learn Program hosted Dental Sealant Events on Molokai to provide no-cost dental services for students at school. On Tuesday, April 8, 2025, a team of 9 Oahu- and Maui-based dentist, dental hygienist, dental assistant and nurses flew to Molokai to see students at Maunaloa Elementary School, Kilohana Elementary School, Kaunakakai Elementary School and Kualapuu Charter School. Three Molokai-based health technicians provides on-the-ground support.

About 110 students were seen on Tuesday. With prior consent from parents/guardians, students received dental screening, dental sealants if needed, oral health education and a hygiene kit for home.

Addressing Hawaii’s Oral Health Issues

The 2015 Hawaii Smiles report documented that children in Hawaii have the highest prevalence of dental decay (cavities) in the nation. In addition, more than 60% of children statewide did not have sealants on their permanent molars, increasing their risk for cavities. Children with cavities are known to miss more school days, have difficulty concentrating in school due to pain, and may also have difficulty eating and poor self-esteem compared to their peers without cavities.

In 2019, the Hawaii Keiki – Hawaii Dental Service (HDS) Dental Sealant Program was developed as a partnership between Hawaii Keiki and the Hawaii Dental Service Foundation. The program is a part of the Hawaii Keiki: Healthy & Ready to Learn Program which is a partnership between the University of Hawaii at Manoa School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene and the Hawaii State Department of Education. 

The goal of the Hawaii Keiki Dental Sealant Program program is to improve the oral and overall health of children by increasing the number of children who receive oral health assessments, education and dental sealants within designated high-need HIDOE and Charter Commission elementary schools.

In 2020, the program launched on Oahu and continues to expand with services now also offered in Maui, Kauai and Big Island. Today, the program is excited to bring oral health services to the students on Molokai. 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

This event happened because of the on-going grant funding from Hawaii Dental Service Foundation as well as the generous support from Kamaka Air Cargo who donated the transportation of the program’s dental equipment from Maui to Molokai and Maverick Helicopters who provided discounted transportation for the staff to get to Molokai from Maui. The State Department of Health – Family Health Division also supported this effort with funding for the purchase of dental supplies.

To date, the program has provided more than 5,500 keiki with an oral health screening and more than 60% of kids needed and received dental sealant, resulting in more than 12,000 teeth being sealed. In addition, more than 220 keiki were identified with urgent dental needs and were successfully referred for treatment by community dental providers.

“Hawaii Keiki is committed to returning to Molokai annually to ensure that students in remote communities have equitable access to dental care,” said Dr. Deborah Mattheus, Hawaii Keiki Senior Practice Director and Dental Sealant Program director. “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 Molokai kids.”

Compassionate Team of University of Hawaii Alumni & Student Providers

The Hawaii Keiki Dental Sealant Team was composed of licensed dentists, dental hygienists and was supported by Hawaii Keiki nurse practitioners, registered nurses and health technicians. Today’s Molokai event was special because the majority of the health providers were alumni from the University of Hawaii’s Manoa nursing and dental hygiene programs, Maui dental hygiene and Maui-Molokai certified nursing aide programs. One of the providers is currently a UH Maui College dental hygiene student.

“As a dental hygiene graduate from UH Manoa, 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.”

For more information about the Hawaii Keiki Oral Health Program visit https://nursing.hawaii.edu/hawaii-keiki/oral-health-program/.