Success Stories
On The Road Again: A Tooth Taxi Update
by Mary Daly, Program Manager, Tooth Taxi
Update #9 | 11/03/08 | Lebanon
Hello regular recipients and welcome DFO board members to my weekly Tooth Taxi recaps. The weekly recaps are to share our news from the road, the lives we are impacting, those that impact us, and the numbers for education and dental services.
Much of our success in Lebanon at Riverview Elementary school we can attribute to our volunteers from the local dental community: Rachel Coleman, EFDA (expanded functions dental assistant) provided classroom education on oral hygiene to students and cleaned students teeth in the taxi. Dr. Cynthia Marshall and her assistant Mandi Funk provided services to students on Wednesday.
Dr. Marshall and patient
We were visited by the local press, the Lebanon Express:
Our own story, one of our young patients (whose parent brought her after school) while in the dental chair told Dr. Heringer that her mother had a toothache. Our volunteer dentist Dr. Marshall agreed to look at the Mom, and took care of her dental pain providing extractions and restorations. It is this type of commitment and service that leave a positive mark in the communities we visit, and especially with the young child who was concerned about her mom.
Lebanon stats:
- 72 students screened
- 33 students treated in the van
- $22,368 free dental treatment provided
- 114 students received oral hygiene education in the classroom
Holly Spruance from the OEA Choice Trust came to Lebanon where she and I reviewed the proposed 2009 schedule (I will send next week along with a cumulative recap of TT services).
As always road trips provide a little gem - this pithy quote from one of the Lebanon churches that we can all relate to!
Next week on the road: Woodburn
A note from our September visit to Falls City:
Hi Mary, Just wanted to let you know how pleased the folks in Falls City were with the dental van!! At our service integration team meeting last week Aaron reported on how it all went. Teachers are reporting improved behavior from kids, almost instantly after their visit with you. I heard from Jessica that had the high school students known how much work would be done (not just assessment and referral as had been done before), more of them would have come over. So next time you are in town there I think you'll see more of the older kids. Hope all is going well and the team is enjoying much success. Thanks again for all you do for the kids!
- Helen
Regards, Mary