"Share the Care" Contest Nominee Spotlight: MHAT

The Mental Health Association of Tulsa was established 57 years ago to provide support to those who are affected by mental illness. They do this through housing services for mentally ill and their families, offer them employment opportunities and help them maintain job skills.

MobileSmiles has had the opportunity to visit several MHAT housing facilities over the past two years, providing life-changing dental treatment for those living on the streets. Some unable to find jobs do to the condition of their mouths, some living in pain and not able to fully function. With our help, they were able to live pain-free and now they are on their way to making themselves whole again.


Here's what the nominees had to say about MHAT:

"Why do you think this organization should win this contest?"

"The Mental Health Association of Tulsa puts a hand out to all in need. These services would give them the ability to serve and help those in need just that much further."

"First, the need. Second, the love and care that the Association shows. Third, the organization and level-handed, practical way that the Association goes about its service. They are caring, qualified and credentialed."

"Dental problems affect health and mental wellness."

Empowering or Enabling?

We know THIS is not what a child's mouth should look like.  And yet, we see it all too often. 
As the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Dental Foundation, I get the opportunity to see lots of great work happening in the world of dentistry in Oklahoma.  Now, with the MobileSmiles Oklahoma program, we have the ability to work in more parts of the state, treat more patients and touch more lives in great ways. 

The responsibility also causes us to ask new questions.  I've raised a few HERE - especially the issue of whether we are accomplishing our goal of helping people in the best way we know how. 

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.