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Baby Teeth Matter

The following information has been provided by a community partner, Denise Goudelock, RDH, BS, MA from the Puyallup Tribal Health Authority Dental Clinic.  The Puyallup Tribe’s dental clinic is part of a collaborative project called Baby Teeth Matter to address the oral health of American Indian children ages 0-5.  Baby Teeth Matter is a collaborative project between the Northwest Tribal Dental Support Center and the Washington Dental Service Foundation. Seven tribal dental programs in the Pacific Northwest volunteered to participate in this project. The project included three face to face meetings/trainings, noon webinars, quarterly data collection, and ongoing technical assistance.

 

Objectives

  • Increase the number of 0-5 year olds who receive dental access, with an emphasis on 0-2 year olds.
  • Increase the number of 0-5 year olds who receive comprehensive dental care at their IHS/Tribal dental program. (Reduce referrals to private pediatric dentists)

 

Promising Practices

  • Protocols :  screening/exams, fluoride varnish, sealants on primary molars, minimally invasive dentistry, motivational interviewing, and frequent recall.
  • Tribal Policies: Include a dental visit as part of a well-child visit, scheduling dental as the first stop in the appointment for the family.
  • Real Open Access: Babies can be seen whenever the dental clinic is open without scheduling an appointment.
  • Case Management: Tracking all 1-2 year olds to schedule dental appointments
  • School Visits: Coordinated with Tribal FACE, early preschool program
  • Day care visits: Coordinated with Tribal Day Care Center

“What’s trending in oral health” symposium October 2015

You already know that oral health is directly linked to overall health and well-being. Pierce County’s “What’s Trending in Oral Health” Symposium will help you stay on top of the trends, gain new insight and relevant, timely information about medical, social and other factors that impact oral health. Join us in Tacoma for this educational morning on Friday, October 2, 2015.

  • Professional, engaging speakers
  • Useful information in working with patients, students, community members
  • Four (4) CEU credits
  • Affordable
  • Local and convenient @ Bates Technical College South Campus, 2201 S. 78th Street, Tacoma, WA 98409
  • Sponsor exhibitors with valuable information
  • Detailed speaker, topic, directions and registration information found here:PCOHC 2015 Oral Health Symposium_Registration_Flyer [2015.09.10]

Who Should Attend?
• Dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants and front office staff.
• School and preschool health educators, nurses, and health aids.
• Primary care physicians, pediatricians, ARNPs, and PAs.
• Registered nurses, LPNs, and nursing assistants.
• Anyone interested in oral and overall health.

Don’t miss out! Register by 9/24/15 or earlier by completing/submitting:PCOHC 2015 Oral Health Symposium_Registration_Flyer [2015.09.10]

See you there!

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Dental community provides free dental care at March 2015 Project Homeless Connect

During the Spring Project Homeless Connect (PHC), the Pierce County Dental Society and Oral Health Coalition members combined talent and services at Puyallup Fairgrounds on March 31, 2015 to provide dental care to community members in need. Participating organizations include Bates and Clover Park Technical College Dental Assisting Schools, Lindquist Dental Clinic for Children, Medical Teams International, Pierce College Dental Hygiene School, and many other private dentists.

The dental section of the event provided $30,234 in donated dental care that included screening 67 individuals and treating 23 in the dental hygiene area. The Medical Teams International dental van, with its volunteer professional dental staff, provided twenty-three patients with additional treatment.  Dental service area volunteers also referred PHC patients for follow up exams and community resources. The Pierce County Dental Society wishes to acknowledge all the oral health volunteers, partners and community resources who worked together to help those in need of dental services. Photos of some of the wonderful dental volunteers are shown below!

Planning for the next Project Homeless Connect is underway for late summer-early Fall 2015. For those interested in volunteering in the dental services area, please contact Cheryl Jenkins at pcds@pcdentists.org.

Free dental services at March 2015 Project Homeless Connect

Project Homeless Connect returns to the Washington State Fairgrounds, Puyallup  on Tuesday, March 31, 2015. As in the past, the Pierce County Dental Society, along with other Pierce County Oral Health Coalition partners, will provide much needed dental assessments and treatment triage.

Doors open 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM.

PCOHC members interested in helping in the dental area should email pcds@pcdentists.org.

For more information and to share with the community as appropriate, click here for the event flyer: PHC_Flyer_March_2015_WA Fair Grounds

PCOHC members deliver free dental care at youth-focused event

As part of HYPED (Homeless Youth Prevention and Empowerment Day), the Pierce County Dental Society and Oral Health Coalition members combined talent and services at Spanaway Middle School on January 24, 2015, to provide dental care with a focus on youth in our community. Participating organizations include Access to Baby and Child Dentistry, Bates and Clover Park Technical College Dental Assisting Schools, Community Health Care, Lindquist Dental Clinic for Children, Medical Teams International, Pierce College Dental Hygiene School, Puyallup Tribal Health Authority, and many other private dentists.

The dental section of the event experienced a steady stream of patients, conducting over forty screenings, eleven cleanings, and twenty-nine varnishes. The Medical Teams International dental van, with its volunteer professional dental staff, provided twenty-one patients with additional treatment.  The value of donated care was $13,710.   The Pierce County Dental Society wishes to acknowledge all the oral health volunteers, partners and community resources who worked together to help those in need of dental services.

For those interested in volunteering in the dental services area at the Tuesday, March 31, 2015 Project Homeless Connect at the Washington State Fairgrounds, please contact Cheryl Jenkins at pcds@pcdentists.org.