Children's Dental Services Inc.
www.childrensdentalservices.org
Background and Purpose
Children's Dental Services (Children's Dental) was established in 1919 and "is dedicated to improving the oral health of children from families with low incomes by providing accessible treatment and education in our diverse Minneapolis/St. Paul community."
The agency operates out of 25 clinical locations in Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey and Washington Counties and serves low-income children from birth until age 21, and pregnant women.
Children's Dental provides comprehensive dental services consisting of oral health outreach, education, preventive and restorative treatment, and hospital care for patients needing intravenous sedation and endodontia. Approximately 72% of Children's Dental patients receive some form of medical assistance, 13% receive sliding fee care, 12% receive free care, and 3% are covered by private insurance.
In 2006, Children's Dental saw 12,238 patients in 21,147 visits, in addition to providing dental health outreach and education and dental screenings. School-based satellite clinics in St. Paul are located at Dayton's Bluff Elementary School, John A. Johnson Elementary School, Maxfield Magnet Elementary School, and North End Elementary School.
Current Request
To address the needs of low-income children in St. Paul, Children's Dental is working in collaboration with the Mayor's office on the Invest St. Paul initiative and targeting dental care in the low-income communities identified by the initiative, which include the East Side, Frogtown/ University, Near North End, and Dayton's Bluff. Clinical staffing levels for five positions will be increased from part-time to full-time to provide sealants and other preventive care to more students at John A. Johnson, Dayton's Bluff and Maxfield elementary schools, and to add a new site at North End Elementary School. Treatment plans for necessary follow-up care will also be developed. In addition, Children's Dental will conduct outreach activities to increase awareness of the services and assist with enrollment.