A collaborative effort by dentists, hygienists, school nurses, and the St. Vincent Healthcare Ronald McDonald Care Mobile in Billings, MT, is tackling the issue of access to oral healthcare for children in the area, according to an article in the Billings Gazette.
Many had previously been volunteering or doing charity work of their own. Now Jane Gillette, DDS, a dentist and clinical researcher based in Bozeman, has brought them together to form the Billings Oral Health Alliance. Dr. Gillette is known for her advocacy to end oral health disparities and is helping the group find ways to ensure that their work is ongoing, according to the Gazette.
They have already chosen nine Billings schools where half of the students receive reduced or free lunch to begin their work. Screenings and treatment for some 3,000 children will begin in the fall and continue through the end of the school year. Care will take place in schools and on the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, which is equipped for dental care.
Sealants are high on the agenda and pairs with the Montana Dental Association's Sealants for Smiles program that began in 2012, the article noted.
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