All Aboard the Tooth Taxi
On The Road Again: A Tooth Taxi Update
by Mary Daly, Program Manager, Tooth Taxi
Update Number 68 | May 17, 2010 | Frenchglen & Fields
The Tooth Taxi made its first foray into Harney County, the largest county in the State of Oregon and the 9th largest in the US with over 10,000 square miles. We visited schools in the small historic towns of Frenchglen and Fields. These more remote trips take a little bit of extra preparation; making sure the Tooth Taxi and chase car fuel tanks are full and stocking up on groceries for lunches and dinner before leaving Burns.
Frenchglen, near the Steens Mountains and home to the historic Frenchglen Hotel has one
K-8 school and no school buses. While parked in front of the school, setting up the Tooth Taxi for treatment we watched pick-up trucks pull in to drop off students. Reflective of the student population of ranch kids the school’s front gate elaborately crafted with welded horseshoes. Pick-up trucks and western boots are de rigueur for this town. Dr. Goger, DFO Board member and frequent Tooth Taxi volunteer dentist joined us for our remote adventure. We also saw a student from Drewsey whose Mom drove 200 miles round trip to have him treated on the Tooth Taxi. Drewsey is another small outpost North of Burns with a student population of 14.
Lil’ cowboy patient
A first that we experienced and a bit surprising – the entire student body (13) and teachers (2) at Frenchglen start off each morning with a yoga session in the gym. After yoga James gave his oral hygiene presentation to the students (see att. photo).
Fields, population 86 is situated at the edge of the Alvord Desert. Fields station was established in 1881 as a stagecoach roadhouse between Winnemucca Nevada and Burns Oregon. There was a package waiting for the team at the Fields Station which doubles as the town’s “post office”. Beryl Fletcher, ODA’s Director of Professional Affairs sent a care package of home baked goodies. Delicious treats for the road warriors and a nice complement to our meals.
We screened the entire student body at Fields, treated the 2 students in need and James gave an oral hygiene presentation to all the kids. All this to a musical background of guns engaged in target practice. See attached photos of the Fields school.
Volunteers:
DFO Board member and frequent volunteer from Albany, Dr. Mike Goger.
From the kid gallery:
“I have some gone teeth” James giving his oral hygiene presentation to the entire student body (12 students Pre-K – 8) in the classroom talking about wisdom teeth and how often times there is not enough space and they crowd your teeth.
A young student says: “like old farmer’s teeth.”
Realities from the road:
20% of last year’s female senior class was pregnant
Other notes:
Frenchglen:
- 33% of students screened needed treatment.
- 67% needed no treatment.
Fields:
- 20% of students screened needed treatment.
- 80% needed no treatment.
- Tooth Taxi miles driven: 259 (Bend to Fields)
Fringe benefits of the job:
A rainy evening tour of Pete French’s historic round barn built in the late 1800’s.
Staying in Frenchglen, adjacent to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge. Just a sampling of sightings one afternoon post treatment: Ringtail pheasants, Pelicans (Yes!), Glossy Ibis, Snowy Egrets, Cinnamon Teal, Goldfinch, Meadowlark…
A beautiful drive from Burns to Frenchglen (a golden eagle in its nest) and then from Frenchglen to Fields: band of wild horses, Deer, Antelope, Jack Rabbits, and snow capped peaks of the Steens and Pueblo mountains.
Tooth Taxi on the open road
Stats: Frenchglen Elementary School, May 17-18, 2010
- 6 students screened
- 12 students received oral hygiene education in the classroom
- 5 students treated in the van
- $2,628 value of free dental services provided.
Stats: Fields Elementary School, May 19, 2010
- 15 students screened
- 15 students received oral hygiene education in the classroom
- 2 students treated in the van
- $2,549 value of free dental services provided
Summary
Tooth Taxi, September 4, 2008- May 19, 2010
- 6509 students screened
- 2818 students received oral hygiene education in the classroom
- 2556 students treated in the van
- $1,666,665 value of free dental services provided.