Regional program provides free dental services

Students at Graceville Elementary had their smiles brightened Friday after a visit from “Smiles on Wheels,” a Panhandle mobile dental service providing low-income students with free dental care.
These students, along with the 22,000 other children in Jackson, Liberty, Calhoun, Holmes and Washington counties, have received more than 57,000 free dental visits.
These visits include exams, cleanings, sealants and treatment. Nearly 38 percent of the children treated are uninsured and are provided with the services for free.
Children who qualify for free lunch in pre-kindergarten through third grade, and who are residents of one of the five counties are eligible for the Smiles on Wheels program. A 40-foot bus, equipped with two dental stations and a dental staff, travels to elementary, Head Start schools, child care centers to provide on-site dental care.
“The goal is to make dentistry fun for the kids, while also providing them with the education needed for better dental hygiene and overall health,” dental hygienist Marcia McDonald said.
The program was initiated in the spring of 2000 by a non-profit group of local physicians and hospitals called the Panhandle Area Health Network, which recognized the need for such a service.
According to a report from Jackson County Health Department, the federal government identified this region as a critical area in need of assistance to low-income children, due to its number of teenage mothers and persons with incomes below the poverty level.
PAHN’s efforts were recognized, and a grant was provided by the federal office of Health Resources and Services Administration in order to address the lack of dental service provided to low-income children.
The grant was given with the intention that the program would be 90 percent self-sufficient within three years. The program surpassed expectations by fully funding itself within the first 15 months of operation. Funding for the program in its entirety is covered by Medicaid.
Smiles on Wheels rolled out in March 2002 and has since served students in more than 20 area elementary and Head Start schools. All this has been accomplished with a staff of five full-time employees and the help of many school volunteers.
“We all rest a little easier at night knowing that we were given the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children within our community and others in the region,” program manager Jan Horne said. “However, the success of this program is in large part due to the teachers and faculty of all our schools. They are always so helpful and just as enthusiastic about the needs of their students as we are.”
With just 180 school days a year, Smiles on Wheels divides its time by size of school and sees as many children as possible. In past summers, the program has also provided dental services to migrant children programs in Gadsden County.