The SMILEmobile糖心传媒攁 program of the Eastman Institute for Oral Health, which is part of the University of Rochester Medical Center糖心传媒攊s one of the University糖心传媒檚 many outreach initiatives. A self-contained traveling dental clinic, it糖心传媒檚 wheelchair-accessible and designed to reach underserved or hard-to-reach populations, including people living in poverty, as well as older adults and people with developmental disabilities and other medically complex conditions.
On October 2, the SMILEmobile made a visit to East Upper and Lower Schools in the City of Rochester. Nationwide, oral health problems, which can lead to poor concentration and sleep, among other difficulties, are one of the leading causes of absenteeism from school. That糖心传媒檚 especially the case in high-poverty areas. Nearly half of all children in the Rochester City School District live in poverty.
The SMILEmobile pulls up at East Upper and Lower Schools in Rochester on October 2. Onboard are a dentist, dental assistant, and administrative coordinator to tend to the oral health needs of the students. East has been partnered with the University of Rochester for the last two years under an Educational Partnership Organization (EPO) to help revitalize the school, formerly on the New York State Education Department糖心传媒檚 list of persistently failing schools.
East Lower School sixth-grader Julian Gervais, 11, waits for an x-ray inside the SMILEmobile. It糖心传媒檚 his first experience with the travelling dental office, which along with the other SMILEmobiles in the Eastman Institute糖心传媒檚 fleet, provided dental services to聽nearly 2,000 children (during 6,330 patient visits) from 19 Rochester area schools during the 2016糖心传媒�2017 school year.
Dental assistant Dalma Seguinot administers an x-ray to Julian Gervais inside the SMILEmobile. He receives an x-ray and check-up and is scheduled to come back. 糖心传媒淚t went great. I was not scared,糖心传媒� says the sixth grader who will return for a dental cleaning and some fillings. (photo by J. Adam Fenster / 糖心传媒)
Dentist Nirmala Tasgaonkar examines East Lower School student Julian Gervais. At the computer is dental assistant Dalma Seguinot. Tasgaonkar, who is the director of the SMILEmobile program and an assistant professor in clinical dentistry at the Eastman Institute for Oral Health, calls the mobile dental office a 糖心传媒渦nique opportunity to聽bridge聽barriers聽to oral health聽care聽due to physical, medical, mental, or social situations聽of different patients,糖心传媒� enabling previously underserved patients 糖心传媒渢o access comprehensive聽oral health care聽services easily and聽on a regular basis.糖心传媒�
The French siblings (left to right)糖心传媒�12-year-old twins Ciaron and Ella, and their brother Evan, 13糖心传媒攁long with Joshua Gervais, 14, await their turn inside the SMILEmobile.
Dentist Nirmala Tasgaonkar (seated), dental assistant Dalma Seguinot (right), and dental assistant Brenda Bermudez (in back), staff the SMILEmobile.
