SOUTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A new mobile dental unit soon will hit the streets of the Lehigh Valley.
The Miles of Smiles van was unveiled Tuesday and is fully equipped to take dental services to schools across the region and help improve access to care to improve the oral health of area children.
A dentist and a hygienist will work in the van using two separate dental chairs.
Those dentist positions are part time. Children who are seen in the van for services can be seen for follow ups in the unit in some cases.
LVHN hopes to roll out the van for the first appointments in October.
“We are so excited to be able to bring dental care hygiene right to kids in the communities where they live,” said Anne Baum, president of Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital.
"Oral health services are a key part of our overall health and when you're not healthy with your teeth and your gums it can impact your whole health negatively."Anne Baum, President, Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital
"Oral health services are a key part of our overall health, and when you're not healthy with your teeth and your gums, it can impact your whole health negatively.
“We want to make sure kids not only get that care when they need it, but also learn those really positive habits that help them keep their oral health up as they grow into adulthood."
'Can't get to a dentist'
Dr. Deborah Cambell, chairwoman of the dental department at LVHN, said access to care was a problem before the coronavirus pandemic that since been exacerbated.
“We are seeing children coming in with enormous amount of decay in their mouth," Campbell said. "They don't have access, they can't get to a dentist.
"And having us go right to them at the schools, get the care right then and there, and parents don't have to take off time off of work.
"Kids are getting infections, they are in pain, they can't concentrate in school, and it's very difficult and then it's a socialization thing too."Dr. Deborah Cambell, chairwoman of the dental department at LVHN
"Kids are getting infections, they are in pain, they can't concentrate in school, and it's very difficult and then it's a socialization thing too.
"So this is so important that we're able to do this. Plus, we know as you grow that bad oral health leads to things like rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease and diabetes."
The new unit is the second of its kind, referred to as Miles of Smiles 2.0, made possible through a $500,000 grant for Capital Blue Cross.
The previous van, Miles of Smiles 1.0, was used from 2009 to 2020, but was retired during the pandemic.
"Part of our mission is to make our communities healthier, and part of what we do is try to improve health equity," said Vicki Doule, the Lehigh Valley executive at Capital Blue Cross and vice president of distribution channels.
"So really, this van kind of encapsulates all of that, because it's going to communities and schools where kids wouldn't otherwise have access to dental care.”
