Inuvik (Mar 08/04) - A region-wide dental study is being delayed until at least next week by Inuvik parents who haven't or won't return consent forms.

Simon Jozzy, the regional dental program officer for the Sahtu and Beaufort Delta, shows how easy the dental census examination will be on Sir Alexander Mackenzie school dental therapist Cheryl Buyck. The examination will take 15 minutes per child and only involves getting basic dental health information like counting cavities.

"I think people have had enough of (studies and surveys) and don't see the significance of this," said Simon Jozzy, the regional dental program officer for the Inuvik Health and Social Services Authority.

The dental census was started last month. The goal is to collect region-specific data on the dental health of two- to five-year-old children.

Dental professionals find most school-aged children living in the Beaufort Delta and Sahtu regions have extreme decay before they start kindergarten.

A census will help quantify the problem and can be used to design programs and services specific to local dental needs, said Jozzy.

A third of what's needed

So far Jozzy has received 64 of the 214 consent forms sent out to Inuvik parents with children between two and five years old. The forms were sent out last month through the school, day cares, pre-schools and the mail.

But the numbers don't seem to reflect the attitude.

"I think it's great," said Inuvik mom Evelyn Bernhardt of the census. "Dental care is important."

She's already sent the form in for her four-year-old son Nathan.

Darina Falsnes echoes Bernhardt's feelings on the census.

"I haven't sent it in but it's all filled out and ready to go," she said.

Both moms said they've had a few dental problems but "nothing big."

Jozzy said the number of children with consent isn't enough to give an accurate study of pre-school children's dental health.

"I'd love to have half (the children)," said Jozzy.

He's surprised a 15-minute check-up could cause this much trouble.

He suspects many parents have just thrown the form in the trash.

"Up here dental health is a problem. We want to break the cycle," said Jozzy.

Communities should be easier

Communities outside of Inuvik will be getting the consent forms in the mail by mid-March.

Jozzy and his team will then visit each community to do the study.

"In the small communities I don't think this will be a challenge," said Jozzy.

For an added incentive, each child who participates in the study will get a free t-shirt, toy and toothbrush. Their name will be entered in a draw to win one of three mountain bikes. Parents' names will also be put into a draw for a free t-shirt.

Forms can be returned to Sir Alexander Mackenzie School, Inuvik Public Health or the Inuvik Regional Hospital.