All Aboard the Tooth Taxi
On The Road Again: A Tooth Taxi Update
by Mary Daly, Program Manager, Tooth Taxi
Update Number 70 |June 1, 2010 | Gilchrist
With the Tooth Taxi running a bit ahead of schedule from our Southeast Oregon trip I called Kevin McDaniel principal of Gilchrist School and asked if he’d like the Tooth Taxi back for the week of June 1st. He said it’s our last week of school and Thursday is our last day, “but it is too good an offer to pass up.”
We identified the patients we wanted to see, arrived Monday and went right to work. We treated until Noon on Thursday just before the kids were let out for summer break. The energy around school was sizzling; the kids were so excited that it was their last day of school. Although summer break on the horizon we had a cold and wet week in Gilchrist.
On our last visit to Gilchrist many of the students were headed to La Pine for a track meet. The entire school seems to be a big fan of track and field. We treated a patient who took 1st place in the pole vault.
James & Dr. Heringer with Patient
The Principal came out to the van and thanked us; he told us they had an awards assembly “assembly on steroids” to let people know what’s been going on in the school, and the Tooth Taxi was mentioned a couple of times for the services we provided.
The School Secretary told us “The Tooth Taxi is the most amazing thing that happened in Gilchrist. We’re in North Klamath County and we never get anything, it’s too far.”
From the kid gallery:
Dr. Heringer: “Your lip is going to be asleep for 3 hrs.” Patient: “I’m going to be asleep for 3 hours?”
“I didn’t feel it when they pulled my tooth.”
Kindergartner: “I might make it next year with the first graders.”
I went into the school to pick up a 1st grade patient. He told me: “I got 4 teeth pulled and 3 fillings, from the Tooth Taxi.” (when we were here in May).
Realities from the road:
Principal Kevin McDaniel asked how to have the Tooth Taxi return again next year. We gave him a site visit request form and he filled it out on the spot.
Other notes - From our May screening:
- 63% of students screened needed treatment.
- 37% needed no treatment.
- Tooth Taxi miles driven: 280 (Bend to Gilchrist, Gilchrist to Portland)
Stats: Gilchrist Elementary, June 1-3, 2010
- 0 students screened
- 0 students received oral hygiene education in the classroom
- 14 students treated in the van
- $6,043 value of free dental services provided.
Summary
Tooth Taxi, September 4, 2008- June 3, 2010
- 6632 students screened
- 3163 students received oral hygiene education in the classroom
- 2628 students treated in the van
- $1,709,691 value of free dental services provided.