Dental Care for Students in Bellingham Schools

Last month marked the beginning of Interfaith Community Health Center’s Mobile Van Program being implemented into elementary and middle schools in the Bellingham School District.

The Mobile Van Program gives dental care to schools, Head Start programs, and daycare centers throughout Whatcom County. Kulshan Middle School and Carl Cozier Elementary are two of the 19 schools in Bellingham that will be receiving dental care through the program.

According to J.Marie Riche, the interim communications director for the Bellingham School District, Interfaith has had the mobile program for a while, but this is the first year that the school district and Interfaith has a formalized partnership. “The partnership is a beautiful opportunity to help students in need. It ties in well with equity which is part of the Bellingham Promise, our strategic plan,” she said.

Through the Mobile Van Program, students can receive exams, cleaning, flossing, fluoride treatments, and oral hygiene instruction.

“We’re very, very excited about working with Interfaith,” said Barbara Cummins, the school nurse for Kulshan Middle School. “If students have pain or decay in their mouths, they aren’t available for learning. Sometimes kids don’t talk to their parents about mouth pain because they don’t want to go to the dentist and that could end up causing fatigue and affecting general health,” she said. The dental program provides a way to screen students for any dental problems, as long as they have parental permission, according to Cummins.

Interfaith schedules appointments with schools, and sends out the van with mobile dental equipment on the scheduled day for each school. According to Interfaith’s Mobile Care Coordinator Meagan Swanlund, Kulshan Middle School is scheduled to have the van come out on Dec. 10 and Carl Cozier Elementary on May 6, 2014.

The school sends home information to families, who then fill out paperwork regarding insurance information and sign a permission slip if they would like their child to receive dental care, Riche said.

A dentist, two hygienists, and two assistants set up the mobile equipment in an available room, and students are able to go get exams. “One thing I like is that they bring kids in in pairs or triplets which really helps them be more confident and brave when they are with friends,” Riche said.

If a student needs additional care, a note is sent home to the student’s family, and Interfaith follows up with a call to set up an appointment, said Riche.

According to Riche, Interfaith will bill insurance companies if families have insurance. Services are provided on a sliding fee scale for families without insurance. Interfaith does their part in being a non-profit to cover the families without insurance, Riche said. “They are able to help families regardless of their ability to pay. There are kids everyday who need dental care and some are distracted in school because of it,” she said.

The mobile program will visit each school once this year, and there are plans to expand the partnership next year to include sealants in the exams and twice a year visits, according to Riche.

Shelly Donahue, the school nurse for Carl Cozier Elementary, explained that both self-care and professional care are necessary in order to maintain good oral health. However, some families do not have the resources to start and continue routine dental care, Donahue said.

According to Donahue, cavities are the most common disease in childhood. “By having a service come to the schools we can help these families by providing checkups. Early routine checkups help prevent cavities and tooth decay, which can lead to pain, infection, loss of teeth, and for young children it affects their ability to learn to speak clearly,” she said.

The Mobile Van Program brings dental care to the students, which helps families that do not have the resources to get to a dentist themselves. In addition, dentists that come to the students are able to give the children tips and suggestions to improve and maintain good oral health. After an exam, Interfaith provides each student with a dental kit, which includes a toothbrush and floss to take home, said Riche.

“They are also able to identify any issues that may need follow up, speech issues, craniofacial problems, infections and then make recommendations for ongoing care,” Donahue said.

The Mobile Van Program started in 1996, but started ramping up in 2000, said Swanlund. The program originally started in Head Start programs and daycare centers, according to Swanlund. “If we can’t get kids into the dentist, we can at least bring dental exams to them,” she said.

Interfaith also provides emergency dental services for people of all ages, and has adult specialty programs, as well as dental care during pregnancy, according to Interfaith’s patient guide.