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.