All Aboard the Tooth Taxi
On The Road Again: A Tooth Taxi Update
by Mary Daly, Program Manager, Tooth Taxi
Update Number 61 | March 29, 2010 | Prineville
Prineville, the County Seat for Crook County is situated at the end of the Ochoco Mountains. Surrounded by the Ochoco National Forest, near the Crooked River’s Prineville Reservoir and views of snow capped peaks was the setting for the Tooth Taxi. Most of us are familiar with Prineville as the home of Les Schwab Tires founded in 1952; a single store that evolved into a billion dollar company. Les Schwab Tires donated $500 to the Tooth Taxi to help defray the costs of our visit. Their corporate headquarters moved from Prineville to Bend in 2008. This year Prineville was selected as the location for a new data center for social media network giant Facebook.
The Crook Co. health department and the school nurses contacted the Tooth Taxi last year about a site visit. The Tooth Taxi team had great support during our visit as a result of the collaborative effort of Crook County C.H.I.P (Community Health Improvement Partnership) Coordinator Sharon Vail and school Nurses Wendy Perrin and Terri Rich. They were joined by Crooked River Elementary principal Cheri Rasmussen who visited us each morning and walked with the students at lunch recess. We parked at Crooked River Elementary and treated students from 5 other schools within the district. For central Oregon we didn’t see much sunshine – we weathered strong winds, hail, snow and rain.
principal Cheri Rasmussen
Volunteers: Our site partners rounded-up a week of dental volunteers for us!
Dr. Thomas Wold and his office staff
From Prineville: Dr. Tony Ramos and assistant Hannah Perry; Dr. Gary Dehm and assistant Allison Fahlgren. From Bend: Dr. Thomas Wold and his office staff: assistant Michelle Cook, hygienist Brianna Peter and office manager Pam Farley. From Sisters: Dr. Ben Crockett and assistant Judy Sims.
BJ Wirges, ODS Professional Relations Service Representative who works out of the ODS Bend office joined us for a morning of escorting students and assisting volunteer hygienist Anna Green.
Anna with a patient
Press: “Tooth Taxi makes a stop in town” an article in the Central Oregonian newspaper: http://www.centraloregonian.com
News Channel 21 from Bend visited. Reporter Michael Huey interviewed Dr. Heringer. [No online link available.]
From the kid gallery:
“What happens if your losing a tooth you already lost?”
“Do you wash your teeth?”, “I don’t”.
“I wish I owned a bus like that.”
Dr. Heringer: “How are your teeth doing?” patient: “Great, I’ve been brushing my teeth and using my timer, brushing for the whole time.” (Each student receives a kit at the screening with toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, mirror and timer).
Realities from the road:
“My brother got kicked out of the family.”
“I don’t do my homework. I don’t want to.” Dr. Heringer: “Don’t you want to get smarter?” Patient: “Nope”.
student with an abscessed front tooth and another student with a tooth decayed down to the gumline
Other notes:
- 70% of students screened needed treatment.
- 30% needed no treatment.
- Tooth Taxi miles driven: 382
Fringe benefits of the job:
Full Rainbow on the Northern shore of the Columbia River (return drive to Portland)
Lunches provided daily by our sponsors
Prineville Stats March 29-April 2, 2010:
- 117 students screened
- 0 students received oral hygiene education in the classroom
- 61 students treated in the van
- $33,260 value of free dental services provided.
Summary
Tooth Taxi, September 4, 2008- April 2, 2010
- 6179 students screened
- 2278 students received oral hygiene education in the classroom
- 2379 students treated in the van
- $1,577,624 value of free dental services provided.