Hundreds of migrant students helped by Smilemobile

By Editor Ken Harvey

The Smilemobile, a modern dental office on wheels, spent a week in Yakima recently, providing general checkups and follow-up treatment to 40-45 migrant children who lacked insurance or medical coupons to do the work.

Sponsored by the Washington Dental Service - Foundation Smilemobile and coordinated by Mike Taylor, director of the Migrant Education Health Program, over 550 migrant children were provided free dental care in 2005.

"They not only identified the problems, but they fixed most of the problems," says migrant home visitor Javier Vela of Yakima School District. "We do have a large number of migrants here in the Yakima Valley, and many don't have access to insurance or medical coupons."

This program is important for the educational success of such students, he says.

"It's very important for every kid to receive dental care,"" says Vela. "You could be the smartest student out there, but if you are sick because of health or dental problems, you can't perform at your best. We have to fix those problems.

"Some kids are blessed to have a regular doctor and dentist, but some don't. The students I identified -- none had medical coupons. Students who don't have insurance or medical coupons don't get proper care," Vela says.

Monica Foro, Miles of Smiles coordinator for the Smilemobile, says dental care is really needed by many of the thousands of migrant children in the state.

"Dental neglect can lead to oral pain, recurring infections, badly decayed teeth which then lead to eating disorders, inability to sleep at night or concentrate in school, and low self-esteem," says Foro.

With a very limited budget, the only way Taylor's Migrant Education Health Program can have a major impact across the state is to develop partnerships such as the one with the Smilemobile.

With three dental work stations in the customized bus, a full-time dentist from the Washington Dental Service, along with staff and local volunteers, provide "a range of services, from examinations to dental sealants, fillings and minor oral surgery," Foro says.

"Every site the Smilemobile visits has cases of badly decayed teeth. Children with serious dental problems," she says.

Some of the children in Yakima had abscess problems, where infection was causing the gum tissue to disintegrate and creating sacks of pus, for example.

"There was serious help for some of these kids," Vela says.

The care providers also teach families how to avoid such problems in the future.

"Children and their families are taught how to take care of their teeth and the value of prevention," Foro says.

Vela coordinated the program in Yakima. He reviewed migrant records to determine which families were likely to lack insurance or medical coupons. He contacted the parents and made sure they understood why they should participate to help their children.

Vela and other local officials and volunteers play a big part in making it happen, helping with paperwork and sometimes interpreting for the families, Vela says.

In addition to the school personnel, John Deviny served as the "host dentist," Karri Amundson as the clinic manager, and the Department of Health and Services in Yakima as the host organization.

"I hope in the future we can continue working together," says Vela. "That's what we're here for, to help the kids. Maybe we could do it twice a year."

Vela and other school officials met with about 1,000 parents at its quarterly Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting two weeks before Christmas to show photos and video of the Smilemobile event. Vela hopes word will spread and recruiting needy families will be easier next time.

As he tried to call some of the families in the past, they have frequently been confused about who he is and what he wants.

"Sometimes they hang up on us when we call, so we have to go visit them to help them understand what we are trying to do for their kids," says Vela. "They know then that I'm working for the school and not the government. They sometimes confuse us with immigration. So it's our job to go back and help them understand."

Vela says the effort is well worth it.

"It's overwhelming, how pumped the parents are. It's so fulfilling to see this. It's a lot of work, but I'd do it all again to see that look on their faces," he says.

"District participation in assisting parents and students with this process is critical," says Taylor, the state Migrant Education Health Program director.

The Smilemobile has provided its free services to migrant children in Aberdeen, Rochester, Shelton, Okanogan, White Salmon, the Tri-Cities, Long Beach, Yakima, Brewster and Monroe, serving over 550 children in 2005, Foro says.

"The partnership with migrant health works so well because of dedicated people such as Mike Taylor, Javier Vela, Lupe Ledesma, Yazmin Hernandez, Sandra Ledesma, Cindy Yasunaka, Carlos Elles, Teresa Curran and other bilingual individuals who understand the importance of oral health," the Smilemobile coordinator says.

The Smilemobile has been serving children in need of dental care across the state since 1995.