Program brings smiles to youths

      With nary a concern in mind, a toothache-free Eric Lockwood strode confidently to the dentist's chair for his checkup.
      Months earlier, Lockwood had been a picture of worry in Dr. Brad Wilbur's office. He wanted relief from his toothaches, but had never seen a dentist.
      "I didn't know if I wanted to go to the dentist," said Eric, 9, who lives in Henderson. "I was scared because I didn't know what was going to happen."
      Eric, like many of the 202 children in the Project SMILE dental program for needy youth, have gotten toothaches treated, infected teeth removed, fillings installed and root canals performed.
      Project SMILE began last year, responding to a 1996 Las Vegas Dental Health Coalition for Children study which reported Clark County had the nation's highest rate of dental decay for children. The numbers were based on a national comparison of the federal Medicaid program, federal and state dental-health funding and state and county surveys, said Kim Weiss, special project facilitator for the Clark County Public Education Foundation.
      A year earlier, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported Clark County had a shortage of dentists to serve low-income families. The report examined dentist-to-resident ratios nationwide.
      Prompted by the grim statistics, the Michael O'Bannon Foundation gave $200,000 to the nonprofit Clark County Public Education Foundation to begin a dental program for needy children. The foundation collaborated with the dental coalition and school district nurses to craft the program.
      "We wanted to do something to give (at-risk) children in Clark County a chance to go to the dentist as well as a choice of dentists," said Kay Alchu, O'Bannon Foundation director. "We also wanted to create a program that would make sure all the money went to the children."
      The money covers a portion of dental fees and transportation needs.
      One-hundred-and-five nurses, in teams of 15, go to the 53 schools identified as "at-risk" or "high-need." There, they conduct oral exams and follow them with home visits, to determine children's dental problems and decide which children need transportation and additional care.
      Families are asked to pay a one-time $5 application fee which covers expanding education and preventative care, but are not disqualified if they cannot pay. Needy children are then referred to one of 25 local dentists. They must qualify for the free and reduced school-lunch program, have no dental insurance including Medicaid and have a dental condition which, if left untreated, will result in pain, infection or loss of permanent teeth.
      Sally Jost, school nurse administrator for the district, said the dentists are happy to see the referred children.
      "The response from the dentists has been wonderful," she said. "Not only are they offering their services at a reduced fee, some of them have come out of their own pockets to pay for services."
      Wilbur, who has worked on about 20 pupils, called what he has seen eye opening.
      "I did not know there was that much need (for children's dental services); I am so used to seeing children whose teeth are well-kept," Wilbur said. "It is very satisfying to be able to help these children."
      Eric's little sister Elizabeth, 8, hedged about getting her checkup.
      "I don't want to go in there," she said, clinging to her grandmother, Karole Hoffner.
      Hoffner said Elizabeth likes coming to the dentist's office, but for a different reason.
      "She likes the treasure chest," Hoffner said, "because she knows she will get a toy."