A dental hygienist in your child's classroom? One local program is helping local students maintain a healthy smile.
At Shandon Elementary School, students from the Shandon Joint Unified School District are able to see a dental hygienist right in the classroom. It saves both the parents from taking time off work and the kids from missing a day of school.
Every Friday, Alice Peltier sees an average of five students, or about 150 students a school year.
“It’s fun to be back with them," Peltier said.
The nonprofit Tolosa Children's Dental Center saw the lack of access to pediatric dental services for children of low-income families as a critical need. The Dentistry at School program began in 2019 before the pandemic hit, forcing the schools to close in March 2020. Earlier this month, it made a return.
“We're able to provide a service here, Dentistry at School, for families that may not otherwise access care," Executive Director Alexandra Chamberlain said. "They aren't unable to take the time off work or it doesn't work on their schedule or often oral health care is the last medical need and sometimes is seen as emergency care only.”
Chamberlain says when they stopped providing services at the school, they stopped seeing students from Shandon for at least a year.
“Caregivers, parents, they don't have to take the day off work and do the 40-mile trek into Paso Robles and back," Chamberlain said.
Peltier says she's noticed a difference in the overall health of the children's teeth.
“It was rough," Peltier said. "The kids were doing good and then when the pandemic hit, it felt like their care maybe wasn't quite there.”
Everything done in the dentist's office is done in the classroom. X-rays are taken, cleanings are done, as well as visual exams. Reports and X-rays are sent to the dentist's office in Paso Robles if more work and cleaning are needed.
“Kids are really excited," Peltier said. "They're happy to see somebody out here. They're always showing us their teeth. They’ve got wonderful excitement.”
Tolosa Children's Dental Center offices see an average of 5,000 patients a year. With the addition of new dental hygienists, they're open to more patients at both locations.
