Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Repulse Bay (Mar 06/02) - When it comes to the battle against tooth decay, every little bit helps.

Northern dentists work co-operatively with Kivalliq schools to initiate programs that take a active approach to good oral care.

Good dental habits could save the Nunavut government hundreds of thousands of dollars in dental repairs and medical travel.

Programs promoting good hygiene also help limit needless suffering by many Kivalliq youth.

Just such an active dental program has been revived at Tusarvik school in the hamlet of Repulse Bay.

Tusarvik teacher Leonie Aissaoui says the fluoride mouth-rinse program at the school became idle when the community's dental therapist left down.

She says Grade 4 teacher Christine Murray was worried about cavities among her students.

"I guess the bacteria has been feasting on our students' teeth since Catherine Tegumiar (dental therapist) left and the program was suspended," says Aissaoui.

Help has arrived on the Bay, however, all the way from the province of New Brunswick.

The visiting dentist to the community, Dr. Christian J. Chiasson, and his wife and dental assistant, Isabelle Comeau, volunteered their free time to come to Tusarvik to do an inventory of the dental supplies left at the school.

The couple have determined that Tusarvik has all it needs on site to launch the program once again and continue the battle against tooth decay.

The program will soon be starting with Dr. Chiasson for students attending the school.

The fluoride mouth-rinse program will be done weekly and Tusarvik students and school staff are happy to see its return.

Aissaoui says it's really quite incredible how large a difference a small, but important, program such as the fluoride mouth rinse can make to improve the students' oral health.

"Such a program can reduce the incidents of tooth decay by about 30 per cent in both fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas."