Children's Dental Health Services:
​Happy Healthy Teeth

Children's Dental Health Services (CDHS) operates clinics at over 70 mobile locations. Our program typically receives completed health history forms via email from our school contacts, although at some larger sites, staff physically collect the forms from the schools, as happened this year at an Austin Public School site. While a CDHS provider gathered the forms on-site, the school nurse brought a concern to the staff about a student. She reported that a child was experiencing pain and had visited the emergency room over the weekend, where Amoxicillin was prescribed for an infection.

​The school nurse called the student into her office for a quick assessment by our provider, who identified urgent treatment needs. Although a language barrier existed when communicating with the family, the school nurse successfully reached out, translated the necessary information, and arranged an appointment with our provider.
​Due to several barriers to care, this patient had never seen a dentist and was found to have significant treatment needs. Their first appointment included an exam, x-rays, and a tooth extraction at the infection site. Given the child's extensive needs, multiple subsequent appointments were required at our office location to repair and extract teeth as necessary. The child was also seen at their school clinic for their dental cleaning. The child had an infection that, if left untreated, could have spread throughout the body, posing serious risks, including to the heart.

Our program enhances access to local comprehensive care and eliminates barriers. This child is still undergoing treatment, but they are now free from pain, and the infection has been resolved. Thanks to our program and the access we provide, they have improved health equity and are on the path to a healthy, happy smile.
- Children's Dental Health Services

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