North Texas Dentistry Convention Issue 2014 | Page 30

community news

It Takes a Dental Community

W

By Kimberly Clarke

ith the support of 200 dental volunteers and dedicated staff, this past year Dental Health Arlington
served 11,560 low-income neighbors at a value of
$1,346,827! Thank you!

As the result of a United Way needs assessment that determined
the extreme need for free or low-cost dental care in Southeast
Tarrant County, Dental Health Arlington opened in 1992 with a
mission of providing preventive and pain relieving dental care to
low income residents and to educate children about good oral
hygiene habits.

The dental clinic and SMILES, the school-based preventive program, serves clients who have a long list of unmet needs and dental care, particularly preventive dental care, is low on that list.

SMILES (Sealing Molars Improves the Lives of Every Student) is
a team of a dentist, hygienists and assistants who take portable
dental equipment to 30 Arlington, Grand Prairie and Mansfield
elementary schools that have an average of 87% of the children
receiving free/reduced lunch. A curriculum including the impor30 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com

tance of oral health and having a dental home is taught to 9,000
1st, 2nd and 3rd graders and each child is given a new toothbrush.
With parental permission, 2nd and 3rd graders are screened by a
licensed dentist, sealants are placed on eligible first molars and
fluoride treatment is applied. The 165 children who are in need
of immediate dental care who do not have a dental home are
referred to the clinic for a next day appointment regardless of the
ability to pay. A preventive curriculum in English and Spanish is
presented to disadvantaged parents of Arlington pre-schoolers.
At SMILES’ inception, only 39% of the children had healthy
mouths and 19% had extremely severe decay. This school year,
69% of the children had healthy mouths and only 8% had
extremely severe decay. During the summer, SMILES provides
the same services at the five A