Students at Dana Elementary School in Nipomo lined up outside a large, brightly decorated mobile dental clinic on Feb. 23, waiting their turn to see the dentist and to show off their skills at brushing, as part of the Community Health Centers (CHC) “Brush! Brush! Brush!” program.
U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) was also on hand, sharing the children’s enthusiasm and announcing the purchase of a second mobile clinic made possible by a $500,000 grant.
“I am happy to announce that CHC is the recipient of this very competitive grant which was made possible by the Affordable Care Act. Now, 1,600 additional kids and their families will receive dental care services. Any time you prevent disease, you forestall future medical expenses,” Capps said at the event.
“Brush! Brush! Brush!” is a school-based oral health education and prevention program for first- through third-grade students. It reinforces proper tooth brushing techniques and the benefits of avoiding soda and other sugary drinks. Students keep a record of their brushing habits and are entered into a drawing for a new bike if they brush at least twice a day. Children receive dental exams, cleanings, fluoride varnish, and dental sealants at no cost.
The program is the brainchild of Joseph Mercardante, DDS, director of dental services at CHC for eight years.
“Children from low-income homes are 12 times more likely to have decay, and that translates into missed school, difficulty concentrating, and long-term dental problems,” he explained.
He said the program targets children between the ages of 6 and 8 because studies show that’s when lifelong habits are formed. Program coordinators also strive to make the mobile dental clinic a welcoming place with no pain, trauma, or discomfort, so children don’t fear the dentist.
The $500,000 school-based preventive health grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is part of the Affordable Care Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama in March 2010.
The act also includes legislation introduced by Capps to create a grant program to support school-based health clinics, marking the first time school-based health clinics have been eligible for federal funding.
Currently, CHC’s school-based health center program is only accessible at seven schools in two school districts. The addition of the new mobile dental clinic, which is expected to arrive in the next few weeks, will allow CHC to provide low-cost dental care to children in six school districts: Santa Maria-Bonita, Lompoc, Lucia Mar, San Luis Coastal, Templeton, and San Miguel school districts.
CHC also operates non-mobile dental clinics, with locations in Templeton, Nipomo, Santa Maria, and Lompoc.
This article appears in Mar 8-15, 2012.