Closing the Oral Healthcare Gap in Rural Central New York

 

Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease in children; it is five times more common than asthma.  92% of rural counties in New York State are designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas for dental care.  It is a gap in care that Bassett Healthcare Network recognized and began to address with the addition of preventive dental services to its School-Based Health Program three decades ago.  Because of generous gifts to Friends of Bassett, dental services have expanded to serve thousands of children in need every year in our communities. “I was brought on 13 years ago to provide restorative dental care and oversee the preventive dental hygiene program for children enrolled in school-based health,” explains Leah Carpenter, DMD. “It is well-established that there is a strong link between good oral health and overall physical health. We also know that the most common chronic disease affecting children is dental caries (or cavities), the disease that causes tooth decay.”

Dr. Carpenter says it is not unusual in her clinic to see a 14-year-old child who needs dentures because so many of their permanent teeth are badly decayed and need to be pulled. 

A Lifeline for Parents

Erin Redden is the mother of two children, ages 12 and 14, who attend Cooperstown Central School and are enrolled in Bassett’s school-based health dental program. Redden works full-time outside the home and says without Bassett’s program, she would find it very difficult to get her children the routine preventive care they need.

“It is very difficult to have access to regular dental care where we live and although we have insurance through the state of New York, there are not many good options available in this rural region,” says Redden. “Through Bassett’s program and Dr. Carpenter’s dental clinics, my children get teeth cleanings, fluoride application, and sealants, and they’ve had minor cavities filled.”

While a HRSA grant that originally funded Dr. Carpenter’s position eventually ran out, the Clark Foundation, New York State Department of Health, the generosity of donors giving to Friends of Bassett, and Bassett Healthcare Network have helped continue to fund school-based health dental services. 

Bassett’s School-Based Health Dental Services Are Expanding Beyond School Walls

• Fluoride varnish applications have expanded beyond the school-based health program to include the dental team’s medical colleagues. Primary care and pediatric practitioners across Bassett Healthcare Network now perform oral health screenings and apply fluoride varnish to children identified as high risk.
• The school-based health dental program is now integrated with Bassett Healthcare Network’s other dental clinics so that children can be referred to an oral surgeon or other specialists when needed.
• Bassett’s School-based health clinics now use Epic, Bassett’s network-wide electronic medical record, so that medical and dental practitioners across the organization have access to a child’s care history. This is important because so many children enrolled in school-based health get their primary care at Bassett.

• Bassett’s School-Based Health Program now includes tele-dental services – if a child needs to be evaluated for oral health issues, geography is no longer a barrier to being seen by a member of Bassett’s dental care team.

  Securing a Future for Healthy Smiles

When Dr. Carpenter began seeing children for dental care through Bassett’s School-Based Health Program, visits for oral health services numbered just over 2,000. Today, the school-based health team handles more than 4,000 visits for dental care annually.

“I have this wonderful, unique job practicing in an integrated program where medical, dental, and mental health providers are offering patient-centered care for kids who otherwise wouldn’t have access,” says Dr. Carpenter. “Our entire school-based team really does try to live by our motto, ‘Do what’s best for the kids.’ That’s what keeps me here. It hasn’t been easy, but it is really rewarding.”