GVPH provides free dental care to kids
Mar. 27—HENDERSON — On Tuesday, dental specialists with Granville-Vance Public Health were packing up tools and supplies for in-school clinics at Pinkston Street Elementary.
Aptly named Tooth Club, the clinics provide free dental services like tooth cleanings, X-rays and offers education on proper flossing and brushing.
They had 65 students or so signed up for the free clinic at Pinkston Street. Which specialists are performing those services varies by day and the schedule back at their home base, Carolina Fellows Family Dentistry in Oxford.
Holding the clinics in school eases the burdens of time on parents — they don't have to miss work and students don't have to miss as much class time. The CFFD team uses portable tools for the job — a more cost-effective alternative than kitting out a bus.
"We're trying to get the most out of the grant funding that we can," said GVPH's Special Projects Officer Wendy Smith, "and to be good stewards and ensuring students are getting services they need."
The services are all free to students. Those who need further treatment — fillings, say — are directed to CFFD, which has some costs attached.
However, a $50,000 grant from the Triangle North Health Foundation awarded last year means uninsured students getting that extra care at CFFD don't have to pay a dime. Those with insurance only have to worry about 40% of the total cost, which itself is adjusted according to the patient's income.
Since August, the team has seen over 400 students — a number that speaks for itself, said Triangle North Interim Executive Director Tem Blackburn. Clearly, the Tooth Club is addressing a need, he said.
Dental care is important for a few reasons, Smith explained.
Preventing dental issues altogether is ideal — tooth decay leads to debilitating pain and infections. Plus, permanent teeth are one and done — if one falls out, it won't come back. Good dental care pays off with better health outcomes overall.
"The reason that we're really focusing on the children is we want to stop it before it gets too bad," Smith explained. "When you have children with poor oral health or missing teeth, it affects their self-confidence, which affects their mental health."
Bad dental care can lead to bullying as well, she said.
The club dates back to 2019, when GVPH won a $400,000 grant from a partnership of Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the Duke Endowment.
The COVID-19 pandemic ground things to a halt from 2020-21 — but they started up operations at Henderson Collegiate in 2022, seeing four% of the student body.
This year, dentists saw 20%, an exponential increase.
Since 2022, the team has expanded operations to Vance County High School, Vance Charter School and several elementary schools.
For the future, they won another $400,000 Duke grant to expand services to Granville County. They'll begin at the beginning of the next school year this August.
