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Dentist on wheels

You’ve heard of the latest food truck craze where food trucks are seemingly everywhere, but have you heard of a truck that offers dental care to those in need? The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile is delivering dental care to underserved children and will be in Minot this week.

The mobile dental unit is parked in the parking lot of First Lutheran Church, 120-5th Ave. NW, and is available for children up to age 21 who have no regular dentist. It’s a relatively new program that brings dental care to children in need and a 40-foot state-of-the-art mobile dental clinic owned and operated by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Bismarck.

In the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile are two dental operatories, a sterilization center and a reception area. There is one dentist in the unit at a time and some hygienists or receptionists will volunteer and fill in for a week, said Dr. Christy Peterson, the dentist working in the mobile clinic this week. All of the staff on board the truck are from Bismarck.

The clinic provides basic dental services including exams, X-rays, Caries (tooth decay) risk assessment, oral health education, cleanings, fluoride treatment, sealants, fillings, simple extractions and referrals as needed. The mobile unit uses digital X-rays and electronic dental records. Dental staff on the unit include a dentist, dental hygienist and dental assistant licensed and registered in North Dakota. The clinic operates approximately 40 weeks per year and provides dental care to around 1,000 children each year.

The number of patients seen in a day varies, Peterson said, depending on what they’re doing and where they are. Children visiting the unit on Monday had appointments made through the City and Country Health Clinic or were follow-ups from a previous visit at the unit this past spring. People wanting to check for eligibility and make appointments for the unit this week are encouraged to call the City and Country Health Clinic at 833-1951 no later than Wednesday.

The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile targets its services and coordinates with schools with greater than 50 percent of their children on the free- and reduced-fee school lunch program, Head Start programs, reservation areas and community health centers without dental clinics. Children who do not have a regular dentist and have not seen a dentist within the past two years are eligible for services.

Next week the mobile unit travels to Standing Rock Reservation. Peterson said the mobile unit travels as far as Selfridge and Standing Rock in the southern part of the state, as far north as Belcourt, as far west as New England and as far east as Tappen. This is their fourth summer here in Minot, she said.

The program is in its fourth year as of this past February, Peterson said. “We like to come to the elementary schools because they really need it.” The mobile unit will make a return trip to an elementary school in Minot in September, Peterson said.

One of the greatest unmet needs of low-income families is access to dental care, according to the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile news release. Untreated dental problems can result in pain and infection, create difficulty chewing and eating and interfere with concentration and learning.

“This is a need we’re being able to fulfill,” Peterson said, about why it’s important a service like this is offered. “Children are receiving this service regardless of whether they have insurance or not.”

Dentist on wheels

You’ve heard of the latest food truck craze where food trucks are seemingly everywhere, but have you heard of a truck that offers dental care to those in need? The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile is delivering dental care to underserved children and will be in Minot this week.

The mobile dental unit is parked in the parking lot of First Lutheran Church, 120-5th Ave. NW, and is available for children up to age 21 who have no regular dentist. It’s a relatively new program that brings dental care to children in need and a 40-foot state-of-the-art mobile dental clinic owned and operated by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Bismarck.

In the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile are two dental operatories, a sterilization center and a reception area. There is one dentist in the unit at a time and some hygienists or receptionists will volunteer and fill in for a week, said Dr. Christy Peterson, the dentist working in the mobile clinic this week. All of the staff on board the truck are from Bismarck.

The clinic provides basic dental services including exams, X-rays, Caries (tooth decay) risk assessment, oral health education, cleanings, fluoride treatment, sealants, fillings, simple extractions and referrals as needed. The mobile unit uses digital X-rays and electronic dental records. Dental staff on the unit include a dentist, dental hygienist and dental assistant licensed and registered in North Dakota. The clinic operates approximately 40 weeks per year and provides dental care to around 1,000 children each year.

The number of patients seen in a day varies, Peterson said, depending on what they’re doing and where they are. Children visiting the unit on Monday had appointments made through the City and Country Health Clinic or were follow-ups from a previous visit at the unit this past spring. People wanting to check for eligibility and make appointments for the unit this week are encouraged to call the City and Country Health Clinic at 833-1951 no later than Wednesday.

The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile targets its services and coordinates with schools with greater than 50 percent of their children on the free- and reduced-fee school lunch program, Head Start programs, reservation areas and community health centers without dental clinics. Children who do not have a regular dentist and have not seen a dentist within the past two years are eligible for services.

Next week the mobile unit travels to Standing Rock Reservation. Peterson said the mobile unit travels as far as Selfridge and Standing Rock in the southern part of the state, as far north as Belcourt, as far west as New England and as far east as Tappen. This is their fourth summer here in Minot, she said.

The program is in its fourth year as of this past February, Peterson said. “We like to come to the elementary schools because they really need it.” The mobile unit will make a return trip to an elementary school in Minot in September, Peterson said.

One of the greatest unmet needs of low-income families is access to dental care, according to the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile news release. Untreated dental problems can result in pain and infection, create difficulty chewing and eating and interfere with concentration and learning.

“This is a need we’re being able to fulfill,” Peterson said, about why it’s important a service like this is offered. “Children are receiving this service regardless of whether they have insurance or not.”

Dentist on wheels

You’ve heard of the latest food truck craze where food trucks are seemingly everywhere, but have you heard of a truck that offers dental care to those in need? The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile is delivering dental care to underserved children and will be in Minot this week.

The mobile dental unit is parked in the parking lot of First Lutheran Church, 120-5th Ave. NW, and is available for children up to age 21 who have no regular dentist. It’s a relatively new program that brings dental care to children in need and a 40-foot state-of-the-art mobile dental clinic owned and operated by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Bismarck.

In the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile are two dental operatories, a sterilization center and a reception area. There is one dentist in the unit at a time and some hygienists or receptionists will volunteer and fill in for a week, said Dr. Christy Peterson, the dentist working in the mobile clinic this week. All of the staff on board the truck are from Bismarck.

The clinic provides basic dental services including exams, X-rays, Caries (tooth decay) risk assessment, oral health education, cleanings, fluoride treatment, sealants, fillings, simple extractions and referrals as needed. The mobile unit uses digital X-rays and electronic dental records. Dental staff on the unit include a dentist, dental hygienist and dental assistant licensed and registered in North Dakota. The clinic operates approximately 40 weeks per year and provides dental care to around 1,000 children each year.

The number of patients seen in a day varies, Peterson said, depending on what they’re doing and where they are. Children visiting the unit on Monday had appointments made through the City and Country Health Clinic or were follow-ups from a previous visit at the unit this past spring. People wanting to check for eligibility and make appointments for the unit this week are encouraged to call the City and Country Health Clinic at 833-1951 no later than Wednesday.

The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile targets its services and coordinates with schools with greater than 50 percent of their children on the free- and reduced-fee school lunch program, Head Start programs, reservation areas and community health centers without dental clinics. Children who do not have a regular dentist and have not seen a dentist within the past two years are eligible for services.

Next week the mobile unit travels to Standing Rock Reservation. Peterson said the mobile unit travels as far as Selfridge and Standing Rock in the southern part of the state, as far north as Belcourt, as far west as New England and as far east as Tappen. This is their fourth summer here in Minot, she said.

The program is in its fourth year as of this past February, Peterson said. “We like to come to the elementary schools because they really need it.” The mobile unit will make a return trip to an elementary school in Minot in September, Peterson said.

One of the greatest unmet needs of low-income families is access to dental care, according to the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile news release. Untreated dental problems can result in pain and infection, create difficulty chewing and eating and interfere with concentration and learning.

“This is a need we’re being able to fulfill,” Peterson said, about why it’s important a service like this is offered. “Children are receiving this service regardless of whether they have insurance or not.”

Dentist on wheels

You’ve heard of the latest food truck craze where food trucks are seemingly everywhere, but have you heard of a truck that offers dental care to those in need? The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile is delivering dental care to underserved children and will be in Minot this week.

The mobile dental unit is parked in the parking lot of First Lutheran Church, 120-5th Ave. NW, and is available for children up to age 21 who have no regular dentist. It’s a relatively new program that brings dental care to children in need and a 40-foot state-of-the-art mobile dental clinic owned and operated by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Bismarck.

In the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile are two dental operatories, a sterilization center and a reception area. There is one dentist in the unit at a time and some hygienists or receptionists will volunteer and fill in for a week, said Dr. Christy Peterson, the dentist working in the mobile clinic this week. All of the staff on board the truck are from Bismarck.

The clinic provides basic dental services including exams, X-rays, Caries (tooth decay) risk assessment, oral health education, cleanings, fluoride treatment, sealants, fillings, simple extractions and referrals as needed. The mobile unit uses digital X-rays and electronic dental records. Dental staff on the unit include a dentist, dental hygienist and dental assistant licensed and registered in North Dakota. The clinic operates approximately 40 weeks per year and provides dental care to around 1,000 children each year.

The number of patients seen in a day varies, Peterson said, depending on what they’re doing and where they are. Children visiting the unit on Monday had appointments made through the City and Country Health Clinic or were follow-ups from a previous visit at the unit this past spring. People wanting to check for eligibility and make appointments for the unit this week are encouraged to call the City and Country Health Clinic at 833-1951 no later than Wednesday.

The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile targets its services and coordinates with schools with greater than 50 percent of their children on the free- and reduced-fee school lunch program, Head Start programs, reservation areas and community health centers without dental clinics. Children who do not have a regular dentist and have not seen a dentist within the past two years are eligible for services.

Next week the mobile unit travels to Standing Rock Reservation. Peterson said the mobile unit travels as far as Selfridge and Standing Rock in the southern part of the state, as far north as Belcourt, as far west as New England and as far east as Tappen. This is their fourth summer here in Minot, she said.

The program is in its fourth year as of this past February, Peterson said. “We like to come to the elementary schools because they really need it.” The mobile unit will make a return trip to an elementary school in Minot in September, Peterson said.

One of the greatest unmet needs of low-income families is access to dental care, according to the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile news release. Untreated dental problems can result in pain and infection, create difficulty chewing and eating and interfere with concentration and learning.

“This is a need we’re being able to fulfill,” Peterson said, about why it’s important a service like this is offered. “Children are receiving this service regardless of whether they have insurance or not.”

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