Since it started rolling 13 years ago, Jefferson County Health Department’s youth “Smiles to Go” van has served more than 15,000 children who otherwise might not have been able to see a dentist.
Sometimes, a visit to the van can make all the difference in the world to a child, said Laura Becker, the department’s dental program supervisor.
Becker tells of a middle school girl who would not smile or talk without covering her mouth.
But after a trip to the van she was able to find her confidence.
“(Now) she smiles all the time; she’s not afraid to raise her hand in class. It definitely improved her self-image,” Becker said.
Most of the van’s expenses have been covered with more than $1.6 million in state, regional and local grants. Services are offered to those 19 and younger.
Becker said children like the van because of its bright colors, fun-themed seasonal decor and the way staff members relate to them.
“We don’t force procedures. We don’t strap them down or tie them down,” she said. “We want them to have a good experience so they continue to take care of their oral health needs, as well as continue to see a dentist.”
Becker said it has helped that certified dental assistant Charly Skaggs and dentist Dan O’Brien have been on the van since the beginning.
Skaggs said when she took the job she didn’t know how the new program would work out, but is glad she got involved.
Skaggs’ children started school at the same time the van hit the road.
“I’ve seen a lot of those kids grow up with my kids,” she said.
Becker said the van creates rewarding connections.
“We get to know them (clients) on a personal level,” she said. “Some of them that we saw the very first year have now graduated high school.”
The services are affordable for everyone.
The van takes Medicaid and private insurance, and will provide services for the uninsured for a flat fee of $75 per visit. Children under 3 can sit on a lap during exams.
Becker said one of the best things about the van is that it takes services to children, rather than having to set up appointments at a brick-and-mortar office.
“It breaks down barriers,” she said, for parents who might have transportation difficulties, or have to take day off work or pull a child out of school to get to the dentist.
The van travels from school to school and to notable community locations throughout the year. It spends one to four weeks at a school per visit. Parents sign their children up for services, but specific appointments are not required.
“We don’t really care what order we see the kids in. We just tell them (school officials) how many kids we need to see that day so we can work around the classroom schedule,” Becker said.
The van is also available for area children to visit outside school hours.
Becker said the van usually visits a school at the same time each year.
“Before we leave a school we have them booked for the next year,” she said.
How it started
The program got underway in 2005 with a three-year $898,853 grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health.
“After the three years, it was enough of an impact that the Health Department board decided that it was worthwhile to keep on,” Becker said. “So they have sustained it ever since.”
The program has subsequently received grants from the Jefferson Foundation, Andrea Mennen Foundation, Daughters of Charity, United Way of Greater St. Louis and CVS Caremark.
Operating cost in 2017 was about $288,000, with insurance reimbursement allowing about $479,000 in services, Becker said.
The van has three treatment stations, digital X-ray equipment, a licensed dentist, registered dental hygienist, certified dental assistant and an office staff member.
The Health Department’s newest dental van, “Senior Smiles to Go,” which started providing services April 30, was inspired by the youth van.
“We’re kind of basing how we run the senior program off the youth program,” Becker said.