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Smile Grenada

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New York University College of Dentistry (NYUCD) conducted a national oral health survey in Grenada in 2010, and found that more than eight out of 10 Grenadian children suffered from untreated dental caries, signifying one of the highest known prevalence of dental caries in the world. As a result of these findings, the Ministry of Health of Grenada challenged NYUCD to develop a nationwide program to combat dental caries in children and to reduce the amount of new decay that would form over the next two and a half years. The tri-island nation includes Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique, and has a population of approximately 110,000 of which more than 26,000 are children.

“Smile Grenada” is the island’s first national school-based oral health program, launched by NYUCD in February 2011, in conjunction with the Ministries of Health and Education of Grenada, and with financial and product support from Colgate, GC America and Henry Schein Cares. This program aims to address current knowledge of the importance of oral health in Grenada and, more importantly, to develop a sustainable preventive dentistry program rooted in collaboration between the nation’s school system and its public health system.

Although there are dental clinics in some public health centers across the country, this new approach signals a radical departure from the average Grenadian child’s concept of dental care as synonymous with “pulling teeth.” Smile Grenada aims to retool this limited perspective of oral health and promote a more pro-active, preventative oral health culture, where parents, children, teachers and public nurses are educated and equipped to produce measurable improvements to their overall dental health.

The program is also a radical reworking of the model of outreach as public service. According to Dr. Charles Bertolami, Dean of the NYU College of Dentistry, Smile Grenada is a ground-breaking public health initiative, and an incredibly exciting opportunity to make a profound impact on an entire nation. It has proven to be a transformative experience, not only for the population being served, but also for the outreach team, who gain invaluable, firsthand experience of the measureable effects of such targeted efforts. It is anticipated that this model could serve as a platform for introducing public health and outreach components into the core dental curriculum, thereby educating the next generation of dentists to recognize the scope and influence of their profession beyond the dental chair and office setting. It is, in every way, a meaningful redefinition of the role of the dentist.

During a typical two-week outreach visit by NYUCD, a team of 30 dental and hygiene students, faculty and pediatric residents apply about 20,000 fluoride varnish applications (Colgate Prevident) in 100 schools, and place about 17,000 sealants (GC Fuji Triage) in the mouths of 5,000 children. The NYUCD team works closely with the local public health team, providing hands-on training and education in the scientific basis for these preventive techniques. The program has also introduced daily classroom tooth brushing and oral hygiene instruction in schools. Over the last year and a half, more than 60,000 Colgate toothbrushes, fluoridated toothpaste and educational materials have been distributed.

Teachers in every classroom across the country are being trained to lead their class in the fight against tooth decay. NYUCD providers team up with Grenadian providers to attend parentteacher meetings at the schools in order to reach parents directly and educate them to reinforce healthy oral hygiene and nutritional habits at home. Nurses in public clinics around the country attend educational sessions and gain hands-on training to reach expecting mothers and infants/toddlers who may not be in the school system yet. The Grenadian partners have worked hard to change the dental culture in the country and to make the program sustainable.

The program is designed to build capacity of the existing infrastructure, empowering public health dentists, dental auxiliaries and nurses, who serve as the first line of defense in disease prevention; and to educate parents, whose decisions influence the prioritization of oral health care within the family. It is anticipated that the implementation of such preventive measures could lead to a 50 percent decrease in new decay over three years. Such an improvement would be something to smile about!
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October 2025
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