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| RDH Lynsey Marsh in action at a SMILES site at Naturita Elementary School |
My main reason for becoming a dental hygienist is a desire to help my community by providing good oral health. I signed on with the Tri-County Health Network SKIPPYprogram, and I found that the biggest reward is seeing kids happy and smiling upon receiving the care they need.
The SMILES Dental Project®, along with the ITR bill, allow the expansion of dental hygienists’ duties, thereby making it easier to help more kids – and to do more than just restorative work and cleanings. As an RDH, I now get to do more to help kids who don’t have the option to see a dentist in a traditional setting.
Specifically, with the ITR bill signed into law, dental hygienists can now add interim therapeutic restorations (sometimes called temporary fillings) without a dentist being present, thus stopping or slowing the progression of caries, and preventing pain and further infections. For kids who can’t get to a dental office, being able to perform ITRs, when needed, empowers dental hygienists to provide better preventive care – which is also incredibly rewarding for those of us committed to serving our communities.
Tri-County Health Network is implementing the SMILES Dental Project®in two Telluride schools, and one school in Naturita. Both of those remote locations require at least an hour’s drive to a dentist who accepts CHP+ and/or Medicaid patients. And it’s common in these areas that parents don’t have cars (or they rely on public transportation) – as a result, taking time off work to take their kids to a faraway dentist can become too great of an undertaking. Through SMILES, we’re able to see these kids where they are – at school – and provide onsite care and treatment, thereby eliminating barriers of distance and time off work.
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| Lynsey Marsh works with Dr. Kopasz |
At Tri-County Health Network, we sometimes observe the same kids with the same oral health problems, time and again – they’re obviously not receiving the care and treatment they need. With the SMILES Dental Project®, we’ll be able to establish a dental home for these kids, who would otherwise not receive oral health services: I’m excited to work collaboratively with Dr. Kopasz to provide the best preventive care possible to kids in Telluride and Naturita. Over time, I look forward to developing positive relationships with these children and their parents, and continuing to provide their oral healthcare as they progress through school.
With any new program, there are always unknowns and uncertainties, but our experience with the SKIPPY program is that parents are supportive – and they seem to be supportive of the SMILES Dental Project®, too. Parents appreciate the services provided in the community, and not having to drive long distances and take time off work for dental appointments.
For any organization or dental hygienist considering participating in SMILES, I would encourage a commitment to community-based public health – as well as a passion to be a part of positive change that breaks down barriers to receiving quality oral healthcare, and keeping our communities healthy.
