Area youth ages 10-21 now have an option for dental care that will not break the budget.
The Youth Health and Wellness Center launched a Dental Clinic in November, expanding to include teeth on the menu of health, educational and counseling services offered. Situated on the grounds of the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District on Parsons Road, the Dental Clinic is nestled at the back of the stand-alone Center.
A partnership between the Grand Traverse County Health Department, the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District and Dental Clinics North, the Dental Clinic targets youth in Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska and Leelanau counties.
Michelle Smith, the clinic's dental hygienist, offers basic cleaning and x-ray for $24, regardless of insurance status. Clients who cannot pay that amount contribute what they can and apply for a scholarship from the Unmet Needs Fund established by the Art and Mary Schmuckal Family Foundation. Other services offered include sealants, fluoride treatments and preventive education.
Smith cannot diagnose problems but if she notes anything suspicious she can refer clients to a dentist for further evaluation and treatment.
"It's such a need in the community, not only dental care but health,” said Smith, a hygienist for 15 years. "A lot of the kids I've seen so far, a lot of them have never had their teeth cleaned.”
Everyone who comes in leaves with a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss as well as a plan for improved dental care. Smith is determined to impact their mouth hygiene long term, not just for the one visit.
"I am big on tailoring a program — meaning the flossing and brushing routine — to their schedule and what they're eating,” she said.
"What I do if I have somebody who's never had their teeth cleaned before, I set them in the chair and talk about nutrition and their life habits,” Smith added, noting she asks these patients to return in a week for a follow up visit.
Cheerful and outgoing, Smith presides over a brightly decorated room fitted out as a one-person dental clinic. Highlights includes digital x-rays and an ultrasonic scaler, which means cleaning without painful scraping. Donations from the Traverse Bay Sunrise Rotary Club and the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation's Youth Endowment Fund and Campbell Endowment Fund paid for the equipment.
So far Smith has averaged about eight patients a week and is looking for more. She is getting the word out about the Dental Clinic through school newsletters and other media. For her, investing in a child or young person's smile is an investment that lasts a lifetime.
"I truly feel that the way we feel about ourselves comes not necessarily only from within us but from our smiles and the way we hold ourselves,” Smith said. "So if you go to a job interview and smile and you haven't brushed your teeth in a week or haven't had the means to take care of them, then someone else might get the job.”
The Youth Health and Wellness Center moved to its current location in November 2006 after occupying two rooms at the Career Tech Center for the previous six months since it opened. The move tripled the clinic's size and boosted the opportunities for care provided by the on-site licensed medical provider.
"Since the clinic moved into its current building, over 1,000 different clients have been seen for a variety of different needs, including physicals, counseling, illness and injury care and support for health-related activities such as nutrition and tobacco cessation,” said Lisa Peacock, coordinator of the Youth Health and Wellness Center.
For more information about the Youth Health and Wellness Center's Dental Hygiene Clinic, located at the Career Tech Center on Parsons Road, call 922-6416.