Parents who struggle to afford hefty dental expenses for their children or who have trouble finding a nearby dentist that accepts their insurance have a new option in Oak Lawn.
And besides just offering dental care, the service is helping to integrate tooth care for kids into the larger realm of general health.
The Department of Dentistry at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center is parking a special dental care van right across the street from the outpatient center at Advocate Children’s Hospital, 9555 S. 52nd Ave. in Oak Lawn from about 10 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, offering a service that can cut the cost to parents down to zero.
The Teach 2 Reach Program initiative is also bringing dental staff to the children’s hospital to advise medical residents about oral health and when dentists need to intervene.
“Our thought was if we partnered with pediatric medicine, training pediatric medical residents how to do an oral exam, apply fluoride and recognize anything that’s concerning, then we could work with them to refer care over to us,” said Kimberly Fasula, program director.
Fasula, a dental hygienist with a background in public health who is finishing her doctorate in health professions education at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, said her background is what makes the program “near and dear to me.”
“There’s a huge need for it,” Fasula said of the program serving kids from birth to age 17. “Usually when you think of mobile care, it’s screenings. We’re doing comprehensive care — fillings, crowns and extractions, basically anything we can do in a van.”
To recoup some of the money that may be lost in seeing an underserved population, Fasula said staff bill Medicaid, if patients have it, or use grant funding to cover the uninsured patients and other costs. The program runs until January, though staff hope to renew it.
The van has two dental chairs and a pediatric dentist and attending dentist.
Kailyn Schultz was a dental resident on the van last year, is now an attending, and enjoyed the experience so much she will continue seeing patients there.
“I’ve always enjoyed seeing kids,” Schultz said. “I think the hardest part about treating kids is sometimes just managing them and making them not afraid of the dentist.”
The program isn’t just for emergency situations.
” think the van is doing a great job of getting out and seeing kids when they’re not having problems,” Schultz said.
She said parents should consider bringing their toddlers to a dentist when they see their first tooth, or by age 1.
“We’d rather see them before they have any problems, just taking a peek in the mouth and mostly educating the parents on how they can keep their mouths clean,” Schultz said.
As a dental resident, Schultz went on medical rotations too, where she could observe oral trauma and see some of the medically complex patients oral problems. In turn, she said she enjoyed teaching medical residents about dental care.
“It’s a lot of fun, too,” she said.
Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
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