WORCESTER MEDICINE
Three Oral Health Leaders Address Oral Health in Worcester Continued
Oral Health
Dental Hygiene Students & Their Role
Delivering Smiles to Children & Families
Christine Dominick, CDA, RDH, M.Ed
Stacy Hampson, RDH
M
T
ass college of
pharmacy andHealth Sciences’ Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene is dedicated to caring for all diverse populations in Worcester and beyond. Our students are trained in comprehensive dental hygiene care and spend extra time with patients getting to know them, their overall health issues, and teach patients how to care for their mouth health. It is our mission to never turn a patient away for financial reasons; we charge minimal fees for cleanings, X-rays, education, and referrals, as needed. MCPHS Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene has reopened its clinic during COVID-19 and welcomed back patients. We have implemented additional safety measures to assure patient safety and continued health at each visit. In addition to our established protocols, we have reduced the number of people in the clinic at any one time and we ask all students, faculty, staff, and patients to get a COVID-19 test each day they are on campus. We do not do procedures that produce aerosols, and we are wearing additional PPE exceeding CDC Guidelines. During this time of social distancing, our students continue their work in the community by creating virtual presentations and activities highlighting ways to improve oral health for all. Please look for them at: Worcester Senior Center, Boys and Girls Club, Everyday Miracles Peer Recovery Center, Webster Square Day Care Center, Head Start, Aids Project Worcester, Rainbow Child Development Center, Southeast Asian Coalition, Bay Path Vocational Technical High School, Worcester Public Schools Transition and New Citizens programs, Coes Pond Village, Together We Grow Preschool, Veterans Inc., Charles J. Faris Recovery Center, Marie’s Mission Diaper Distribution, Training Resources of America, and the Free Medical Clinic at Epworth Church. No insurance? Remember, patients may qualify for free care on our voucher system! For more information, you or your patients can call 774-243-3410 today! Christine Dominick, CDA, RDH, M.Ed Professor of Dental Hygiene and Associate Dean Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene Email: christine.dominick@mcphs.edu
he umass memorial ronald mcdonald
Care Mobile (“Care Mobile”) was founded in August 2000. It was the first Care Mobile established in the United States through a partnership between UMass Memorial Health Care and the New England Ronald McDonald House Charities. The Care Mobile provides preventative dental and medical services to children and families, in 10 under-served, largely non-English speaking, low income communities throughout Worcester. The Care Mobile is operated by four core staff members: a Family Nurse Practitioner, Registered Dental Hygienist (who is also the Care Mobile’s backup driver), a Community Outreach Liaison, and a Clinic Coordinator – who also serve as certified Spanish interpreters, phlebotomists, and registration staff. Additional staff include four per-diem dental hygienists and part-time medical and dental directors. Services are provided on the Care Mobile regardless of a patient’s insurance status. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are welcome. The staff also connects children and families to medical and dental “homes.” Referrals to food banks, housing, employment, and other community resources are offered to patients. In addition to delivering direct medical and preventative dental services, we provide a dental school-based program twice a week that serves children in 22 elementary inner-city schools. Dental services include fluoride treatments, sealant applications, and dental exams. In 2019, the program provided almost 5,000 dental procedures and exams to Worcester’s most vulnerable public school children. By treating the child directly at the school, we are removing barriers to care, such as lack of transportation or a parent not being able to take time off from work. It is not uncommon to see a child with severe dental decay or a child who has never seen a dentist before. It is well understood that dental pain due to tooth decay can affect a student’s ability to function in the classroom and is one of the leading causes of absenteeism. One of the biggest challenges to the dental health of the children of Worcester is the lack of fluoridation in Worcester’s water supply. Fluoride is important for prevention of dental decay. Our future goals include expanding dental and medical services to area towns while continuing our outreach in Worcester communities of color, as well as in Worcester public schools. We will continue to strive and reach out to the most vulnerable children and their families to increase access to high quality dental and medical care, reduce health and dental care disparities, and create health equity for all. + Stacy Hampson, RDH Dental Programs Coordinator UMass Memorial Medical Center Ronald McDonald Care Mobile Email: Stacy.Hampson@umassmemorial.org
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