Bringing Home the Newest (and Biggest) Member of the ODF Family

Written By: Katherine Adams & Steve Hudson, ODF Staff

At 11:34 a.m., on November 27, 2012,  we met our new pride and joy for the first time: a new mobile unit! We knew this marked a monumental time in the Oklahoma Dental Foundation’s history. With it’s completion and arrival, we are able to expand our programs further than we dreamed possible just earlier this year.

Our trip started early that day, boarding a flight to Chicago at 6:00 a.m. Finally arriving in Columbus, Ohio, we took a cab to LaBoit Specialty Vehicles, Inc., the manufacturer of the new unit. We were greeted Sales Manager, Koni Wade, and Construction Manager, Wayne Henderson, who gave us a quick tour of our new bundle of joy!

After Wayne thoroughly trained us on all vehicle systems, we took off into Columbus rush hour traffic headed to Oklahoma City. There is nothing like driving a new, unknown vehicle that is worth more than a new Ferrari, in a town you don’t know, to get your adrenaline going!

All in all, we drove 925 miles in two days. The new unit is so easy to drive; we actually made it back to our storage facility in Oklahoma City before 10:00 p.m. on the second day!

Upgrades in New Mobile Dental Unit: 
• New floor plan with operatories on either end and welcome area in between
• Digital sensors
• 8,000 lbs. heavier – able to withstand the winds of Oklahoma while driving!
• Drawers and cabinets secured by latches
• Equipment strapped or bolted to ground or countertops for easy and safe transport
• Wheel chair lift
• Operatories can be sectioned off with pocket screens for privacy
• Sinks in both operatories

This is the first time we have had a mobile dental unit that was intentionally built to be one, rather than being retrofitted. Immediately, one can tell a huge difference between our two units. While, we are not putting our previous unit out to pasture, it’s simple; with more units we can treat more patients. 

The experience of getting to pick up the new mobile unit is something special. We are honored to be a part of an organization that is making such a positive impact on fellow Oklahomans.  We look forward to Oklahoma becoming acquainted with our bundle of joy, and the mission of the Oklahoma Dental Foundation reaching even more in need.

Our Great Partnership with the ODF

By Melissa Reese, RDH

Dental Support Manager for the Oklahoma City Area Inter-Tribal Health Board

Great partnerships are amazing.  They provide a sense of satisfaction similar to the feeling women experience following a victorious day of shoe shopping (not that the men reading this article will appreciate that analogy).  During the past two years I have been blessed with the opportunity to partner with the Oklahoma Dental Foundation to help address an issue that is both near and dear to my heart.  The Oklahoma City Area Inter-Tribal Health Board (OCAITHB) is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization, whose mission is to unite the Tribes within the Oklahoma City service area (OCA) to improve the health and quality of life of Native American communities through advocacy and education with federal, state and local entities, while maintaining Tribal sovereign rights.  Currently, we have greater than 335,000 American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people in our service area, which consists of the 43 federally recognized tribes in Oklahoma and portions of Kansas and Texas. 

Many people are unaware that AI/AN children experience Early Childhood Caries rates that are 400 times higher than any other U.S. race.  33% of AI/AN preschool children living within the OCA have tooth decay experience, 26% have untreated decay, 7% have urgent treatment needs, and 9% of children have decay by 1 year of age.  A large portion of our patients live in areas with low or no access to oral health care services, making the partnership between the ODF and OCAITHB critical to our mission.  I’m happy to report that since 2011, our joint efforts have provided 252 OCA AI/AN children access to mobile dental services through various Head Start, Tribal day care, and other school-based programs.  1,192 preventive and therapeutic procedures have been provided at an estimated $61,902.

On a personal note, I have to say that some of my favorite days are ones in which they need an extra set of hands on the van.  I’m a Registered Dental Hygienist by trade, but now work in a primarily administrative position.  Volunteering gives me the opportunity to get back in touch with my clinical roots, and is truly a “win-win” situation: the kids win because they receive oral health care, and I win because it is a gratifying experience.  If you haven’t had the opportunity to volunteer on the mobile dental van, I challenge you to give it a try, but be careful … giving someone a smile is contagious.  I am truly grateful for the partnership between the OCAITHB and the Oklahoma Dental Foundation, and I’m excited about future collaborative efforts. 

On a final note, I would like to thank the wonderful staff at the ODF and say, here’s to great partnerships!

Mobile Program Receives $20,000 Donation from Patterson Dental

Board Member and Patterson Territory Rep
Terry Saunders (left) presents Schick digital sensors to
 ODF Board President Dr. W. Lee Beasley (right)

September 28 the mobile dental care program accepted a generous donation worth $20,000 on behalf of Patterson Dental: two Schick digital sensors and EagleSoft practice management software for our new mobile dental unit!

This technology will update our current system, which uses phosphorus plates and computer software to digitize the bite wing image. On average, it takes about two minutes to process. With this donation, images will be instantaneous and save us precious time treating patients on our new mobile dental unit, thus, increasing our patient reach across Oklahoma.

“This is an outstanding product that makes treatment planning a whole lot more accurate. This is something a lot of dental offices do not have,” said Terry Saunders, ODF Board Member and Territory Representative for Patterson Dental.

This donation was made possible by Saunders, and the assistance and approval of his Branch Manager Terry Gilchrist, and Regional Manager Clint Edens. Gilchrist and Edens were ultimately the decision makers and generously agreed to donate these items. “I know this will help the mobile unit for years to come. I want to thank Terry and Clint for taking it out of their budget and giving it to the Foundation,” Saunders said.

Our additional mobile unit will hit the road in 2013, and we’re happy to have Patterson’s support on the road and we fulfill the Foundation’s mission. 

ODF In the News

Friday, October 19 was an exciting day for our program. KFOR-TV's Lance West paid us a visit while we were at the Baptist Mission in Oklahoma City treating low-income adults. This segment aired twice that evening, and we could have asked for a better platform for our program! Lance tells the story of so many Oklahomans who are in need of care, even in metro areas, but cannot access it. In this instance, the barrier to oral health care is finances. We are so pleased we make a trip to the Baptist Mission again and help their clients improve their chance for job prospects and better, brighter futures.

We are also so grateful to our dental professional staff and volunteers who see this program and an important means to end suffering in our state. This particular day Drs. Eric Touet (Oklahoma City) and Phoebe Brown (Edmond) were able to improve the quality of life to so many. To put it simply, the visit wouldn't be possible without them, or any of our volunteers!

Because the segment aired during the evening news, our office was bombarded with phone calls and emails asking for appointments or when the mobile unit would be near them. Clearly, there is still a great need, and we are always seeking new sites to visit. If you know of a new one we should check out let us know!

We hope you'll take a minute to watch this video and share our program with those you know who may need help, or those who may be interested in volunteering their time with our program.

ODF & OUCOD impact OKC Mid-High School

What does a community engaged in overall health look like? This is the question Douglass Mid-High School in Oklahoma City asked when it brought together like-minded health groups for a meeting last spring. Among those groups were the Oklahoma Dental Foundation, and the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry’s Community Dentistry department. The school’s principal, Dr. Brian Staples, with the assistance of Sandridge Energy, wanted to develop an in-school health center to create better habits for students. Staples attributes a majority of student absences to preventable health conditions, including tooth aches and abscessed caused by severe cavities. Missed class periods for this school, a primarily low-income, African American population means missed opportunities for a better, brighter future. 

July 27, 2012 began the first step of implementing this partnership and impacting the oral health of Douglass. Several volunteers and students from the OUCOD provided dental screenings during a back to school lock-in. The screening would let parents know any problems areas the child might have, and well as, tips for brushing and flossing. About 30 screenings were done that night with the permission of parents in attendance.

The next step came on October 12, 2012 – a day of screenings for more than 150 students. Much preparation went into finding volunteer dental students, implementing a strategy as to see as many students as quickly as possible while engaging them in taking ownership of their oral health. While we had high hopes in preparation, middle and high school aged kids have a way of taking your plan and throwing it by the wayside. By 9:30 a.m. that morning, the first group of kids had come through. As anticipated, many were not interested in volunteering to be screened. The OUCOD group quickly regrouped and found a different plan of attack. Every student would receive a screening by a fourth year student, then brushing and flossing instructions would be given by first and second year dental students. When the second round of Douglass students came through, tensions eased and the screenings ran smoother. Once students were screened, their forms were generated into two piles: referrals to the mobile dental unit for further treatment, and those who didn’t need treatment. Of the 151 screenings completed that day,  83 students were referred for further dental treatment and given paperwork for their parents to authorize treatment on the Oklahoma Dental Foundation’s mobile dental unit October 29 through 31.

Sydney Sevier, senior program assistant in the OUCOD’s Community Dentistry department described the experience as eye opening and a good perspective for the dental students to have. “I think this really sparked an extra passion. They spread the word for their friends to get involved because of what a good experience they had,” Sevier said. “I think this made them realize how bad the problem is in the community.” The Community Dentistry’s overall goal is to increase the number of graduating dental students who go into community dentistry across the state.

Second year dental student Sneha Patel was shocked to hear from a middle school student receiving a screening who did not know what a cavity was. “He seemed very worried about his mouth, but didn't know how to take care of it,” Patel said. She explained to the student that the cavity was treatable and how to prevent them in the future.

Our next challenge will come October 29 when the ODF mobile dental unit and OU students return to Douglass for dental treatment. As always, parents need to authorize the proper paperwork for minors to receive dental care. We hope parents who have seen their child’s screening form take a few minutes to save their children pain and suffering over a toothache, and their pocketbooks from a trip to the emergency room.

Hot off the Presses!

It's been eight days now since we treated our 10,000th patient through the mobile dental program, and we were thrilled so many news outlets in the Oklahoma City Metro were interested in covering our milestone!

Reporters from KOCO, KFOR, KWTV, Telemundo and Journal Record were all in attendance and did a great job in capturing our program and the day's special occasion. Below are a few of the published articles.

Article from The Journal Record - Published September 7

Mobile dental unit serves 10,000th patient

By Sarah Terry-Cobo

OKLAHOMA CITY – Dafne Soto had molars extracted in the parking lot of the Latino Community Development Agency on Thursday. The 8-year-old was the 10,000th patient seen in the Oklahoma Dental Foundation’s mobile unit,  a converted recreational vehicle.

Bernice Saldana, Soto’s mother, had noticed her daughter’s cavities, but said she didn’t have dental insurance to cover the necessary treatment.

“This is a great help for us,” Saldana said in Spanish.

Saldanda’s 4-year-old son, Ricardo, was also treated at the mobile clinic on Thursday.

The Soto children are among thousands of people living in the metro area who aren’t covered by dental insurance.

Saldana said she is glad she can bring her children to get free dental care, saving her family hundreds of dollars. Even though there are 449 dentists licensed to work in Oklahoma City and 664 licensed to work in Oklahoma County, John Gladden, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Oklahoma, said many residents lack access to dental care, not just those who live in rural areas.

“It wouldn’t matter if there was a dentist on every corner,” he said. “If parents don’t take their children, they won’t go.”

Delta Dental of Oklahoma Oral Health Foundation, a nonprofit organization, has donated about $250,000 for the creation of the mobile dental unit, which has been in operation since 2006.

John Wilguess, executive director of the Oklahoma Dental Foundation, said that the majority of their patients have low incomes. In 2011, nearly a third of patients had a household income of $10,000 or less and about 70 percent had a household income of less than $20,000. Only 35 percent of the patients said they qualified for Medicaid, Wilguess said.

The need for the mobile dental unit is so great in the state that the Oklahoma Dental Foundation’s board has approved the purchase od a new unit tha tiwll be custom-built. Having a second unit that can travel from town to town will allow the original unit to stay in one place for several days, Wilguess said. That will allow dentists to perform follow-up visits on their patients, which are often necessary, he said. 

Article from Edmond Life & Leisure - Published September 13

Dentist from Edmomd part of Milestone

Helping the 10,000th patient

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Dental Foundation Mobile Dental Unit has provided free dental care to more than 10,000 patients as of Sept. 6. Dafne Soto, 8, of Oklahoma City was the honored 10,000th patient served on the mobile unit as it made a stop at the Latino Community Development Agency. Soto was one of eight children and youth who had an appointment for needed dental care Thursday.

The mobile dental unit travels across the state each year as part of ODF’s Mobile Dental Care Program.

“She didn’t know she was going to be the 10,000th patient,” said Berenice Saldana, Soto’s mother. “It was a surprise, but she’s happy. She enjoyed it.”

Saldana said her daughter needed care for cavities that were causing her back teeth to crumble, but Saldana is a single mother of three children and does not have insurance.

“It is very beneficial for my family to be able to come here and receive free care on the mobile dental unit,” Saldana said.

 The Oklahoma Dental Foundation began the mobile dental care program in 2006 using volunteer dentists. Since that time, Delta Dental of Oklahoma Oral Health Foundation has supported the program with nearly $1 million in grants. Part of that funding has allowed the program to double its reach by paying for contract dentists to go to rural areas where access to care is especially low and to provide services during weekdays when volunteers are unavailable.

 “When I first began treating dental patients on the mobile unit, I thought the cost of dental care was the only barrier,” said Jeannie Bath, the dentist on site Sept. 6. “But driving out to a rural site, I think of our patients driving those same long, lonely Oklahoma roads back toward town for their needed dental care. 

“Having the ability to address urgent and potential emergency infections on the mobile dental unit, allows us to prevent patients without a dentist from seeking temporary relief for that infection in the ER.”

Celebrating 10,000 Patients!

In 2006, when the Mobile Dental Care program started down the road of serving Oklahomans in need of dental care, the idea of reaching 10,000 people was hopeful, but still far beyond the horizon. Now, just six years later, we are thrilled to celebrate treating 10,000 Oklahomans of all ages, races and income levels through our program.

As we look to the future of the program, we see exciting challenges:
• A second mobile unit currently under construction - a pipe dream less than a year ago;
• Expanding our program to all 77 counties in Oklahoma;
• New partnerships with organizations invested in creating better opportunities for Oklahomans; and
• supporting our mission to eliminate barriers to oral health care for the populations they serve - women leaving prison, the mentally ill, homeless, indigenous and at-risk populations of all ages.

Working with these groups shows most clearly just how many more people need our help and how we can better serve our fellow Oklahomans. Now, we look ahead and see great possibilities – while knowing these past six years have led us to this mile marker of success.

Dafne stands with ODF Executive Director John Wilguess,
Delta Dental of Oklahoma President & CEO John Gladden,
Dr. Jeannie Bath, and Captain Supertooth

Moving to September 6, we celebrated our 10,000th patient while at the Latino Community Development Agency in Oklahoma City. We have partnered with the LCDA for almost five years, and visited there over thirty times with our program providing screenings and treatment for their clients. We had the pleasure of treating 8-year-old Dafne Soto, our lucky 10,000th patient! Longtime volunteer Dr. Jeannie Bath (Edmond) provided treatment that day. Dafne's mother scheduled and appointment for her after seeing decay on Dafne's lower molars. Dr. Bath extracted the molars and also gave her some hygiene lessons to keep her teeth healthy! The Soto family was very grateful for the services they received through the LCDA and the Mobile Dental Unit, which saved them hundreds of dollars the low-income and non-insured family did not have. 

We see people like Dafne everyday all around Oklahoma. While we celebrated Dafne on Thursday, we know there are still many like her and the Soto family that are in need of our services. 

Dafne thanks Dr. Bath after receiving dental treatment

Obviously a huge thanks goes out to our program funders who believed in our dream from the beginning, and continue to help us expand our program. 

Mobile Unit Seeks to Visit Every County from 2010 to 2012

Counties the mobile unit has visited from 2010 to August 6, 2012 in grey

When Katherine Adams became Access to Care Director for the ODF in March, she noticed an unintentional trend in mobile unit scheduling. Many cities were being frequented more than others, thus, there was a gap in areas served. While we value the sites we visit on a regular basis, we wanted our program to accurately represent and serve the entire state.  Katherine and the Access to Care Committee then set a goal to visit all 77 Oklahoma counties by the end of the year, and back-dated to 2010 to begin the journey. Some counties we have visited previously, just not since 2010. When we set our goal, 30 counties were left and we have made great efforts working with the State Department of Health and each county’s Dental Health Educator to make our goal a reality. We want them aware of our program and its benefits so we can see as many Oklahomans as possible – some of them for the first time. We'll provide updated maps as our journey progresses! If you can connect us with a county we have yet to serve, please let us know!

Mobile Unit Celebrates 10,000 Patients Sept. 6

Tomorrow we will celebrate a milestone!  On September 6, we will celebrate treating 10,000 patients (and counting) while at the Latino Community Development Agency (LCDA) in Oklahoma City.  LCDA is a longtime partner with the ODF and has hosted the mobile unit 30 times in the last several years. On board with us that day will be outstanding volunteer Dr. Jeannie Bath.  In 2008, the LCDA presented the Mobile Program with their "Organizational Guardian Angel" award for providing services to their clients. Over the years, we have frequently provided screenings and treatment to children and adults in their programs. We look forward to celebrating 10,000 patients served with our Mobile Program when we visit them tomorrow.  In the more than six years of the mobile unit’s existence, we have had the pleasure of providing over $1.7 million of charitable dentistry across the state - greatly affecting the communities we visit. Since the program's launch in April 2006, we have averaged over 1,500 patients a year, and look forward to seeing even more with our expanded program when our additional mobile unit arrives later this year.  We can't wait for tomorrow to get here and celebrate with one of our major funders, Delta Dental of Oklahoma Oral Health Foundation, the ODF staff and our wonderful volunteer Dr. Bath! Don't forget to check back for pictures of the day!

The Office Invades the Mobile Dental Unit!

August 1 - 3 I had the opportunity to be on the mobile dental unit as it traveled to Owasso, Tulsa and Perkins where community leaders and organizations took time out of their schedules to help those in desperate need of dental care and no resources to receive it. Typically, my work is done behind a desk, so I was a bit out of my comfort zone as I entered the trenches of our mobile dental unit - processing x-rays and entering patients into our Dentrix system - while our Community Coordinator, Steve, was on vacation.

In Owasso, we participated in the New Heights Church "Back to School" day - a day where the church and it's wonderful volunteers give school supplies, clothes and shoes, hair cuts, eye and medical exams to those in the community with children in need. The Mobile Dental Unit was able to provide free dental services to nine children that had been pre-screened by a dental hygienist who happened to be a member of the church earlier, and a patient list was built from there. When we went to park the Unit at the church just after 8 a.m., I was so surprised at how many people were already there! Lines were out the building, parking lots were so full they were forced to park across the street - this was apparently a service the community was looking forward to. Thanks very much to Pastor John-David at New Heights Church for letting us be apart of the "Back to School" day once again, and we are scheduled to go there again next year on July 31. Our volunteers, Dr. Mark Argo and his assistant Christy, along with contract dentist Dr. William Gray and Peggy, ODF staff assistant, we donated almost $4,000 in dentistry and sent the children back to school with healthy smiles!

Dr. Mark Argo, Cathrine, and Christy. 

Cathrine had a broken front tooth and Dr. Argo used resin to give the tooth the appearance of being whole.

August 2, we were at another familiar location with the Mental Health Association of Tulsa at their Denver House site. MHAT has 17 location across Tulsa which provide homeless and mentally ill people a place to sleep, take classes or beat the heat. On that particular day, the temperature topped at 113 degrees - and man was it hot - inside the mobile dental unit and out! MHAT offers wonderful resources to those who need a place to stay cool in the summer and need a place to get back on their feet. We saw eight patients who were all adults and did $2,474.41 in donated dental care, which ranged from extractions to fillings and cleanings. Since we started working with MHAT in 2011, we have enjoyed our partnership immensely and always look forward to visiting their locations. Connally Perry, Administrator of Permanent Supported & Transitional Housing for MHAT, said even with services with the Mobile Dental Unit, accessing dental treatment is still one of the hardest to find services for their community.

We spent August 3 in Perkins with the Iowa Tribe Clinic - a partnership made possible by the Oklahoma City Inter Tribal Health Board. Thankfully, the temperatures were a little nicer to us that day and there were some clouds! On the way over a few sprinkles hit the windshield! Overall, the day ran very smoothly thanks to the on-site coordinator, Andrea, and her prep-work! We saw seven patients - children and adults - and did $1,863.86 in donated treatment.

Saturday, August 4, we were in Drumright working with Drumright Dental Center and their community-wide free dental day. Steve, the Community Coordinator and typical mobile unit driver, joined the group after being on a well-deserved vacation earlier that week. So, I headed back home while Steve took over.

As I'm sure many of you heard, outstretched wildfires affected that portion of Oklahoma (east and south of Stillwater) over the weekend. Luckily, the mobile unit was not in an evacuation area, so seven patients received  $6,009.23 in donated treatment inside the mobile dental unit along (the office opened up several of it's chairs to provide free services as well). However, we were able to see smoke, and on the way home were re-routed on the highways due to the grass fires.

Life on the mobile unit is never dull, so sometimes I look forward to being in the office after I come in from the road. That being said, this time things went very smooth, and I was able to interact with patients and their families to understand how much of a impact we make not only in people's mouths, but their overall health and lives. Being in the trenches where the care is provided and seeing smiles all around is such a wonderful feeling and gives a face to the work I do behind my desk everyday.

Susan Hoover
Program Relations Manager
shoover@okdf.org 

Lawton Dentists Donate Nearly $10k in Treatment to 37 Patients Partnering with Mobile Dental Unit

On June 30, the dental community of Lawton, combined with the efforts of the First Baptist Church, came together for a common cause: giving back. 

Four local dentists, two dental hygienists and two dental assistants donated their expertise to help those in need in Lawton. Drs. Phillip Aday, C. Todd Bridges, Wuse Cara and Joe Harris, hygienists Dawn Ferguson and April Ryswyk, and assistants Carole Griffin and Cassie Holton spent a combined effort of  24.25 hours treating 37 Patients in four chairs – two on the mobile unit, and two portable chairs provided by Dr. Aday.

By the end of the day, a total of $9,667 in free dental work was provided. Some volunteers are continuing further gratis treatment inside their offices, making sure the patient’s full oral health is addressed properly.

Dr. Aday, general dentist of Lawton and member of First Baptist, was on the planning committee for a huge community outreach week planned by the church every summer. The church was interested in providing services the surrounding community could not easily access due to time or resources. Dr. Aday contacted the Foundation to schedule the Mobile Unit in Lawton and recruited area dental professionals to volunteer.

The church’s week of giving consisted of several projects. Free home repairs and car washes for the surrounding community, which Dr. Aday identified as low-income, and many other services were provided by church members.

The culmination of the week consisted of several community services hosted at the church. Free haircuts, clothing and winter coat drive, free dental and medical treatment, among other services, were provided.

Dr. Aday spearheaded the dental project and volunteered to pre-screen and write up treatment plans for candidates three to four weeks prior. “Even though we have a monthly free extraction clinic in Lawton, there is no free clinic for restorative care here. The need is great,” Dr. Aday said.

As a volunteer at the extraction clinic, Dr. Aday has witnessed many people come to the clinic asking for teeth to be pulled when a filling would do the job. The patients would rather have a tooth extracted than pay out of pocket expenses for a filling without insurance, or even with SoonerCare. The mobile dental unit was able to address an access issue Lawton faces by providing free preventative and restorative care.

 “It was a true pleasure to provide care to those who can’t afford it,” said Dr. Bridges, a first time volunteer on the mobile dental unit. 

The volunteers and participating church members were very pleased with how the week of giving turned out, and will plan for next year. The day went better than planned, and they hope to host the mobile dental unit again. 

 “I would highly recommend volunteering on the mobile dental unit," said Dr. Aday. "You will probably come away pretty tired at the end of the day, but extremely blessed and gratified by the experience."

The Mobile Dental Unit will return to Lawton September 28 & 29 with the Comanche Nation

After some "down-time"  we are happy to have the Sound Bites blog back in action!

We will have much to talk about in the coming days but let us give you just a taste of some of the good:

In two days of free dental treatment on our mobile unit in McAlester, we saw 21 patients and did $5,790.64 in dental services to very deserving people. That averages to $263 worth of care provided to each person.  That's a great start to the weekend!