to be probea to be probed by. professional — School District 88 ‘has ap- proved the.continuation of their school dental health program. The provincial’ program ‘has been in. place in the Skeena Health Unit area for’ several years. But this year, for the first . time since. 1983, the Skeena Health Unit has on staff a com- munity dental hygienist. ‘by Betty Barton Dental hygienist Shirley Hum- phrey started her job here-in September 1989. She ‘explains that the preventative dental. health program offered by the Skeena Health Unit identifies students in Kindergarten and Grade 1 who are urgently in need of dental treatment. Through followup by Hum- phrey and the public health nurses in the schools, the families are ericouraged to ob- tain the necessary treatment from their family dentist. Humphrey goes on to say that many parents. are just waiting _ for the child’s baby teeth to fall out. One of the things pointed out through the school. Dental Health Program is that the baby teeth form the structure to ac- commodate the permanent teeth, Children identified as having. dental problems aré~ followed” through the elementary school system. Initially, Humphrey goes back to the family’up™ to, ‘three times to encourage that the. child’s teeth be looked at by a dentist. If nothing isjdone, the’ case is given over to the Ministry of Social Services and Housing district office, to the public health nurse, cr to the coun- sellors, teachers and principals in the schools. Each principal is given a list of the children with Recruiters — First consideration was given to visible minorities, natives and women, Education, linguistic abilities, regional backgrounds, home provinces or provinces served in, as well as perform- ance, type of service and years of service were all factors con- sidered in the selection : process. NRT members, acting as role models, would therefore have to consist of members at the con- stable rank who closely parallel- ed in age-and interest those of. prospective applicants. The six- member NRT is made up of two women, one black, one native and one Chinese. Two members of the NRT came to Terrace on the recent in- formation and recruiting mis- sion. Cst. Barb Fleury, from Quebec, has a Bachelors and Masters in Criminology, nine year.service in Vancouver, and she is. bilingual. Cst. Andy Lum is from British Columbia. He has over eight years combined service in Ontario and British Columbia. Andy is of Chinese heritage, has a Bachelor of Education degree and speaks Cantonese. .Cst. Ken Harkness, Crime. problem teeth. . The initial visit to the schools by the dental hygienist involves a - 20-minute. preventative session with a class of students. If the school appears. to have high needs, the hygienist-goes back to do one-hour Brush-Ins. These are information and: brushing session with the children, using set of false teeth called Mr. Chompers and an extra-large toothbrush, ,The children then chave the opportunity to practise the . techniques on themselves with tooth brushes provided by the Health Unit. Prior to Humphrey's arrival ‘in Terrace, the school dental health program was conducted out of Victoria. Each year, three or four dental hygienists would come to this area and do a ‘‘blitz’’ in all the schools. Any follow-up would be done by the public health ‘nurses. Shirley Humphrey feels she can provide a more comprehensive service on-site in Terrace and area. Humphrey was a_ certified dental assistant before she went back to university to work towards certification as a dental hygienist. She took two yeats of “University in “sciences and then applied for the dental- hygienist programsOut of three hundred applicants, only 20 were ac- ‘cepted..This has accounted for the Shortage of dental hygienists « in the province of B.C. Now, three universities offer the course, résulting in 60 graduates per year (20 at each institution). Humphrey also comments that many people prefer to live and work in the urban areas. She ‘‘wanted the challenge; really _loves it (the job here), and really ' continued from page B6 Prevention and Community Police Relations Officer of the Terrace detachment of the RCMP, organized Terrace’s in- formation’ session, including promotion in preparation for the arrival of Fleury and Lum. ‘At the meeting, the two of- ficers explained the basic pre- requisites to join the RCMP: @ be a Canadian citizen @ must be 18 to apply @ be of good character @' have sucéessfully completed a minimum ‘of a Canadian sec- ondary school education @ be proficient in either official language (English or French) @ possess a valid Canadian driver’s license a @ meet the physical, medical and dental requirements of the RCMP Fleury comments that many people still mistakenly think there is a height or weight re- quirement. A constable undergoes a year of police training. The training | starts at the RCMP Academy in Regina, Saskatchewan, with a rigorous six-month program. The intensive academic ‘and physical training. received at the props. Humphrey demonstrates | . brushing techniques ‘with a huge ‘Shirley Humphrey, the Skeena Health Unit's dental hygienist, has a bagful of tooth-related props she'll be taking along on visits to Terrace area primaty schools. They include in- flatable teeth and an outsized set of dentures called “Mr. Chompers” used to demonstrate proper brushing techniques. Terrace Review _ Wednesday, J anuary 31, 1990 likes the area.” ‘Her territory covers four pro- vincial school districts and District 92 administered by the Nisga’a Tribal Council. Two thousand children were involved in dental inspections in this area last year. Humphrey says, “Some are scared. Some just love it!”? The only tools used in the inspection are“ a péri light’’and a tongue depresser. Shirley goes on these visits in street clothes, so the children don’t feel threatened. Next month, dental ‘assistants will be trained in Vancouver to do some of the basic work in the schools and free up the hy- gienists to do other community work. Humphrey is lobbyng for a half-time assistant so she will be freer to visit seniors and offer preventative programs to other sectors of the community. Academy is designed to ensure that members are prepared for whatever challenges lie ahead. Academy training is followed by six months of on-the-job train- ing under the close supervision of a senior member at one of the RCMP’s many detachments throughout Canada. ; All unilingual recruits undergo an introduction to their second official language through thé’ Recruit Official Languages Training Program prior to basic training. ‘Starting salary for a regular member of the RCMP is $26,700 a year, with increments up to $43,263 after 36 months. Andy Lum explains that the National Recruiting Team is here to serve the needs of the Force, and to be responsive to _ the needs of the public. It’s not a quota affirmative action pro- gram, and no legislative hammer made this program come into being. Both Lum and Fleury at- tribute it to the foresight of their Commissioner, N.D. Inkster. ‘Lum adds, ‘‘The RCMP is more'than police force. It’s a symbol of the country and - should. reflect its: population.” | Fine Dinin te in quiet surroundipgs! rN S§p.m.—-10p.m. |. : z 4620 Lakelse Avenue . ST 638-8141: Polly’ s Cafe. - Chinese & Western Cuisine =< 7 Mon.—Thurs, 10:30 a.m. -- midnight Fil. & Sat. 10:30 am. -- 1 a.m. Sunday 12:00 a.m. — 1) p.m, 4913 Keith Avenue, 638-1848 . 638-8034 rit GIM’S RESTAURANT ar Chinese & Canadian Food ih OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK \ Mon - Wed 14:30.a.in. — 10:00 pom. t NY. 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