In-school
Dentistry
Career
Path Rates
an A+
By Cynthia Iseman, DMD
Many of us entered the dental profession
because we want to help people. That
mindset is the same regardless of where
we practice our profession. Helping
people gain access to dental care in
creative ways improves the quality of
life for people of all ages within our
communities.
I have been fortunate in my career to
find the perfect job fit: I work three days
a week/roughly nine months a year
providing dental care to children in a
school-based setting. Over the course
of my career I have worked in a variety
of settings. I have been an independent
contractor, a locum tenens dentist, a
corporate employee and a practice owner.
I am happy to say that I love
everything about my
mobile school-based
dental job. Quite honestly,
I am not someone who
had much interest in
treating children.
What’s different
about providing
care at school?
On the surface, it may
seem like in-school
dental programs and
traditional practices
compete for patients.
The reality, however, is that
school-based programs treat
a subset of the population that
rarely visits a dental practice.
Mobile dental programs primarily
serve underserved populations and
are reimbursed by Medicaid and
CHIP for the services they provide.
According to the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS), only 21.3%
of Medicaid-enrolled children in
Pennsylvania are treated by a dentist.
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MA R CH/A P R I L 2020 | P EN N S YLVA N IA D EN TA L J O UR N A L
That means 78.7% of children on
Medicaid/CHIP remain unseen and
uncared for. Some parents of our young
patients don’t understand the importance
of dental health. Some parents simply do
not have the means to get their children
dental care. They may not be able to take
time off work or they may not have the
necessary transportation to get to a
dental office. School-based care requires
neither extra time nor transportation on
the part of the parents. Dentists are not
alone in providing health care in schools.
Optometrists and physicians are also
being invited into schools to help ensure
children get the health care they need.
Obviously a big difference between
my chosen delivery model versus a
traditional practice is location. I see
children in the familiar surroundings of
their school. Our dental team brings up
to three full operatories of portable
equipment into a classroom, auditorium
or other available room, and we set up a
temporary dental office. We bring dental
chairs, a sterilizer, computers, electric
handpieces, a variety of compressors, a
digital X-ray unit and sterile instruments.
We also bring free toothbrushes and
stickers for the children.
The children are more relaxed in a school
setting, which makes treatment easier.
We do not use any physical restraints or
sedation, and care is never forced on a
child. Other children are often milling
about or coloring as they wait for
their turn.
Unlike most other in-school dental
programs, we go beyond preventive care
to provide restorative care as well. If a
child requires treatment beyond the
scope of what we can provide in school,
they are referred to a traditional dental
office in the community.