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News : August 2009

Accord, NY – As dental hygienist Michelle Conklin gently explores a student‘s mouth, she tells the 13 year-old, “Your teeth are fantastic.” To another student, she murmurs softly, “Your gums are a little red,” and asks, “Are you brushing twice a day?”

The two Rondout Valley Middle School students, and nine of their peers, were the first students in their Ulster County school district to receive services when the PRASAD Children’s Dental Health Program (PRASAD CDHP) visited Rondout Valley Middle School in March.

PRASAD CDHP has been providing dental care to the children of Sullivan County for over a decade. Last year the non-profit organization was awarded a grant from the Dyson Foundation which is helping them to deliver services, via a mobile dental clinic, to children at schools in Ulster County as well.

When Joann Redmond, the nurse at Rondout Valley Middle School, heard about PRASAD CDHP coming to her school district to provide services on-site, she thought, “Isn’t this exciting?” She cited the obstacles that have long stood between her students and dental care: “Insurance, geography, transportation, economics.”

A student who overheard the conversation said, “Sweet. I’ve been needing a dentist for a long time. It’s just something that I can’t quite get to. My mom is really struggling.” He sounded old for his 11 years. Joann gave him a permission slip for his mom to sign so he can get his dental screening the next time PRASAD CDHP visits his school.

In all, 11 students received dental screenings during Michelle’s first visit. They ranged in age from 11 to 13, and for some, it was their first dental exam. For others, it was a familiar routine, with a major difference: they didn’t have to miss school and their parents didn’t have to miss work.

And there was humor; Michelle asked each student the same question: “Do you brush every day?” Most said, “Every morning,” or “Every night.” One young man replied, “Only on weekdays.” Michelle burst out laughing. “I never heard that one before. But try to do it twice every day.”