ST. MARYS — Big and brighter smiles were brought to St. Marys Area School District students at the end of January.
Jenna Zimmerman, the school nurse at South St. Marys Street Elementary School, said Smile Programs mobile dentists visited SMASD at the end of January, and saw students in every building throughout the week.
“At SSMSES alone, we had over 60 students sign up to see the mobile dentist,” she said.
The team was at SSMSES for three days, said Zimmerman, to ensure each student received the proper treatment.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Smile Programs aim to bring top-notch dental care to children in schools, regardless of their ability to pay, in over a dozen states.
“Team members include locally-licensed dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants,” the CDC says, providing a dental exam or screening, dental cleaning, fluoride treatment, X-rays and sealants.
“Additionally, they can provide dental services that may include: fillings, simple extractions of baby teeth, and other minimally invasive procedures,” Zimmerman said.
The dentists and hygienists will return in March as well, she said, to complete extensive treatments and do follow-up exams on students who have significant dental issues.
According to the Smile Programs website, “One in seven children, ages 6-12, are suffering from tooth pain,” and more than 50 percent of children on Medicaid aren’t regularly seeing a dentist.
This is the second year that a mobile dentist has visited the district, said Zimmerman.
“Based on the number of students who were seen and treated, there was definitely a need for the program,” she said.
All of this is done at no cost to the school, Zimmerman noted.
Parents may often find it difficult to take their child to the dentist, due to possible transportation issues or taking time off of work, it says on the Smile Programs website.
“That’s why so many parents tell us how much they appreciate the ease and convenience of the in-school dentist, knowing that their children’s teeth are being kept healthy. Plus, kids are more comfortable seeing the dentist in the comfort and familiar surroundings of their school,” according to www.mobiledentists.com.
“Before the district began offering this program, students were only receiving dental screenings in school,” Zimmerman said, which identify dental issues, but any follow-up care had to be done with a private dentist.
“Sadly, many children never received the necessary treatments due to lack of access to affordable dental care,” Zimmerman said.
Medicaid and most private insurances are accepted, she said, and grants are also provided for preventative services for children in need.
“No child is ever turned away for lack of resources,” Zimmerman said.
Each visit takes about 30 minutes, she said, and students take a “report card” home that details their dental check-up.
“This program is available for students in all grades, and parents/guardians can easily register in school or online,” she added.
