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Say cheese: Program brings dental care to schools
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| Roy sykes photo -- Dental assistant Connie Johnson cleans Caila Lloyd's teeth Wednesday at Monroe Elementary School. Children in the St. Charles School District may receive dental care at school through the ReachOut Healthcare America program. | ||
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Joey Bowman, 7, tapped his toes against the floor as he waited his turn to see the dentist who was visiting his school.
Joey's mom, Carla Bowman, who works in the office at Monroe Elementary School, bent down to reassure him.
"Are you nervous?" she asked.
Joey nodded.
Don't be, she said, patting his knee.
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"They'll take care of it all," she said.
Joey and his twin sister, Laura, were among the 23 students from Monroe Elementary scheduled for a dental checkup Wednesday through the ReachOut Healthcare America program.
The mobile dental program provides children in eight states access to dental checkups and cleanings while at school. More than 200,000 children across the country benefit from the program, which accepts most insurance plans and Medicaid and also helps children who aren't covered by insurance.
Nurses in the St. Charles School District say they regularly see children who complain of dental pain but don't have a dentist. Some kids have holes in their teeth the size of a pencil eraser, nurses said.
"It's a big problem," said Nicole Thomes, nurse at Coverdell Elementary School. "Obviously, if you have a toothache you can't concentrate in class."
Thomes said she spent months last spring looking for a local dentist who would accept Medicaid and treat students with little or no insurance. The closest one she found was in O'Fallon, which was a problem for families who don't have transportation.
When she heard about ReachOut Healthcare America last fall, she worked to bring it to St. Charles School District.
"There's a lot of factors that really limit the availability (of getting to a dentist)," Thomes said. "Working with Healthcare America and having them come to the school, we're able to eliminate a lot of those barriers."
Five elementary schools and Jefferson Middle School signed up for the program this spring. Fliers were sent home to parents who had to return the forms with their insurance information. At Monroe Elementary, 125 families returned forms expressing an interest in the program, said nurse Trish Jones.
Children are taken out of class for their appointment during the school day. Children undergo X-rays, cleanings and checkups and have any cavities filled during the appointment.
Carla Bowman said her family lost their dental insurance when her husband was laid off last year. Because ReachOut Healthcare America accepts Medicaid, Bowman thought it was a good option.
"This was a great way to make our regular six-month appointment," she said.
The dental team that works for ReachOut Healthcare America works in schools in the St. Louis area, but St. Charles School District was the first in St. Charles County to sign up. The team set up the mobile equipment on the stage at Monroe Elementary, where the night before the second-graders put on a play.
Dentist Hillard Ullman said regular dental care is important as children grow.
"If they're in pain and they can't chew it detracts from their quality of life," he said.
Jones said another day for checkups would be set up this summer and the schools would send out fliers again in the fall.
"This is our first step into getting help," she said.
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