Mobile Dental Clinics

Clinic at Botts Elementary

Fayette County School Health Program

Seal Kentucky

Western Kentucky Mobile Dental Clinic

Statewide Dental Health Education Program

West Kentucky Mobile Dental Cliniic Program

In 1996-97, the Kentucky Legislature provided operational funding via the Maternal and Child Health Program in the Kentucky Department for Public Health to begin a mobile dental clinic program serving Western Kentucky. At that time, no state funding for a mobile dental facility was provided. Three Western Kentucky counties (Hopkins, Fulton and Marshall) and the Trover Clinic Foundation in Madisonville then joined with the College to develop a mobile facility. With a combination of local contributions, state operational funds and UK Medical Center support, a clinic was developed. In the Fall of 1997, a new school-based dental program was started for the participating counties. In 1997-98, dental treatment programs were provided at five schools.

Due to the geographic distances involved, the mobile program approach in Western Kentucky is different than that used for Eastern Kentucky. Typically, the mobile dental clinic is placed at the participating school for five to six weeks. Prevention and treatment services are provided for children who return consent forms. Indigent children with treatment needs are then prioritized by treatment needs and cared for in a comprehensive dental prevention and treatment program. Upon the advice of local dentist advisory committees, children with Medicaid benefits are also included in this program because of restricted access levels in Western Kentucky.

West Kentucky Mobile Clinic Program Summary
(Treatment and Sealant Clinics)

Program Started: Mobile Treatment Program (1996); Sealant Clinics (1998)

Target Population: Children (poor and working poor) for whom parents return signed consent forms. (Children with Medicaid benefits are included.)

Funding: University, state, clinical income, local county contribution
Note: To help develop the mobile clinic for this program during the first two years of operation, the local counties have contributed an additional $54,000 to help equip the mobile facility and operate the program.

Staffing: Part-time dental faculty
Part-time dental assistant
Note: Dental student and dental residents will be added to the mix as the program evolves.

Services: Weekly clinics for prevention and treatment screening programs are scheduled during the school year. Summer programs are scheduled for June/July.

Counties Served to Date: Hopkins, Fulton and Marshall.
Note: Because of dental access problems and numbers of indigent children in Fulton County, a fixed dental clinic was developed on the campus of the Fulton County Schools and was integrated with a school health clinic developed by the Fulton Board of Education. Services will be coordinated as part of the Western Kentucky Dental Outreach Program.