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Ronald McDonald Care Mobile Making a Difference

By Nikki Stone, DMD

Eastern Kentucky children have the second highest untreated tooth decay rates in the nation.  In 2006, the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile program in Hazard, KY started providing evidence-based preventive dental services on a consistent basis and, as a result, the decay rates have steadily fallen from a high of 58% down to a low of 44%!  Furthermore, urgent dental needs (pain, infection, rampant decay) have been cut in half from 20% to 10%. 

During school year 2010-2011, the Care Mobile provided over 4,000 preventive dental visits to nearly 2,000 children at 35 elementary schools and Head Start centers in four eastern Kentucky counties as well as at several area churches and other community events.  Children received dental exams, cleanings, fluoride varnish treatments, and preventive dental sealants at no charge to their families. 

Parents and children are appreciative and enjoying the care provided to them at the schools; patient satisfaction surveys sent home consistently report strongly agree that the program is “fun and enjoyable,” that they were “treated well by staff,” and that they “would recommend the program to a friend.”  One parent wrote, “You make it fun for the child and it makes it easier for me when they need to brush.  It was a great experience.”  Another parent wrote, “The Care Mobile was very gentle and kind to our children and we appreciate all they do for them.  Thank you.”   Yet another wrote, “Thank you for the Care Mobile, we don’t have dental insurance so you are the only help my child gets.”     

The Eastern Kentucky Ronald McDonald Care Mobile mainly treats children with Medicaid and KCHIP benefits, but about a quarter of the children seen are dentally uninsured.  Many low income families are not offered dental insurance by their employers, or they cannot afford the monthly premiums that may cost up to $75 a month to insure their families.  The cost of visiting a traditional dental office to have a dental check-up for a family of four could be over $500 and the risks or financial strain of taking off a half a day’s work to drive to a dental appointment may be more than some families can do.  The Care Mobile is there to help meet those families’ needs.

Your financial support can help purchase supplies such as toothbrushes and fluoride for the children or gasoline or new tires for the mobile unit.  Please consider making a donation today. 

  • Your gift of $50 will provide much needed preventive dental care for five uninsured children. 
  • Your gift of $100 will provide enough fluoride varnish to prevent tooth decay in 100 children.
  • Your gift of $200 will provide a full tank of gasoline. 
  • Your gift of $400 will provide one of six new tires for the Care Mobile.    

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