Success Stories
On The Road Again: A Tooth Taxi Update
by Mary Daly, Program Manager, Tooth Taxi
Update Number 46 | December 01, 2009 | Beaverton / William Walker
Beaverton Rotary, with a grant from DFO, held their annual Dental Check Day this year Oct. 23rd at William Walker Elementary School in Beaverton, screening over 200 students. Students at this school have been receiving treatment at OHSU dental school for the past ten years and it has made a noticeable difference in the findings of level of decay at the screening. Rotarian Dr. David Spangler contacted us about having the Tooth Taxi follow up to their screening to provide additional treatment.
OEA retired teacher Marleen Wallingford (see att. photo) was involved from the start, meeting with school counselor Sheryl Lindenberg to kick off the paperwork process and follow up and coordinate packets to ensure we had students to treat. Marleen learned about the Tooth Taxi from a presentation OEA Choice Trust Rep. Holly Spruance gave to the OEA-R (Oregon Education Association Retired Teachers Group).
Visitors:Principal Barbara Evans, Beaverton Family Resource Center, the school music teacher, other teachers and staff members. ODA President Dr. Rick Asai also visited. (see att. Photo of Dr. Asai meeting volunteer Dr. Thao Nguyen)
Volunteer:
Several volunteers from Washington County turned out to support the Tooth Taxi:
Pediatric dentist Dr. Hai Pham and assistant Amanda Adams. Dr. Pham was a resident in the pedo program at OHSU when Dr. Heringer was at the school.
Dr. David Spangler and assistant Curtis Nettles
Dr. Brian Spangler and assistant Angie Speigel
Pediatric dentist Dr. Michelle Stafford and assistant Jessica Lively
Dr. Thao Nguyen, assistant Christy Escober and hygienist Shannon Fuller. With both dental chairs occupied Shannon provided cleanings and sealants from the portable hygiene chair in the counselor’s office.
Sometimes our volunteers get more than they signed up for – above you see attached Lauren Malone, ODA Managing Director, Meetings & Membership who sat in to assist Dr. Heringer, while Tooth Taxi assistant James Olcott troubleshot with volunteer Dr. David Spangler.
Margaret Torgenson, Director of Membership & Consumer Affairs for the ODA also volunteered escorting students and preparing Tooth Taxi supplies (see att. photo).
Kari Suppes RDH also joined us for an afternoon providing cleanings for the kids.
Carolina, parent volunteer from the school was there each day to locate students from the many classrooms and portable units and deliver them safely to the Tooth Taxi.
Regards, Mary