School dental health in Honduras

Project HOPE has been working with the Honduran government since 1983 to establish educational programs for health workers and improve the country's health care services. The Ministry of Health in Honduras, under the direction of the president, is planning a new emphasis on preventive dentistry. The feasibility of community water fluoridation is being examined, and dental health programs have been implemented in pilot schools around the country. The Ministry of Health plans to expand these pilot programs to include all elementary schools in Honduras. This article describes the dental health services in Honduras and the government's effort to establish a nationwide school dental health program with emphasis on preventive dentistry.