Community Outreach

History
Community service with a focus on children is at the very core of Dentistry's mission. It began with George Eastman's vision - a vision of healthy smiles for every child in Rochester, regardless of economic circumstances. The purpose of the program is to provide preventative and basic dental care services primarily for under-served, and socio-economically disadvantaged children in Rochester area inner city and rural communities.

SMILEmobile Program
The SMILEmobile Dental Health Program for children originated in 1967 as a joint effort by the Monroe County Dental Society and Eastman Dental Center to provide basic dental care for the inner-city children of Rochester, New York. The SMILEmobiles are fully equipped trailers that provide preventative and basic oral health care for children year round. The units are parked adjacent to the host school for three to six weeks. Each child receives a complete oral examination, x-rays, cleaning, and fluoride treatment. Other services include sealants, amalgam and composite restorations, stainless steel crowns, and extractions. Referrals for specialty services, such as space maintainers and endodontics, are coordinated with the Pediatric Dentistry Program located at the Eastman Dental Center site and other local dental clinic facilities.

Satellite Clinics
Community Dentistry currently has seven permanent satellite clinics. They are located at Edison Tech High School, Orchard Street Community Health Center at School #17, Jefferson Family Wellness Center at Jefferson Middle School, the Mt. Morris Livingston County Campus, and the clinics at Hillside Children's Center, Downtown Health Care Center, and Dansville Central School District. Like the SMILEmobile, each clinic is fully staffed with a dentist, hygienist, dental assistant, and administrative coordinator.

Rural Outreach Clinics
The Community Dentistry Program is part of an innovative dental outreach effort that will greatly benefit rural areas, where there is often an immense need for dental services and too few dentists. One effort, funded by a five-year New York State Block Grant, helped Community Dentistry establish portable in-school dental clinics in Livingston County. The dental care services provided are the same as SMILEmobile clinics. Additional outreach efforts in Corning, Batavia and Newark are provided each summer by the SMILEmobile program.

Population Served

• 15 Elementary Schools in Rochester
• Rural Elementary Schools
• 7 Head Start Programs
• County Health Departments in Stueben, Genesee and Wayne counties

Satellite Clinics:

• Edison Tech High School : (585) 647-2200 x2405
• Orchard Street Community Health Center at School #17: (585) 436-8123
• Hillside Children's Center : (585) 256-7894
• Downtown Health Care Center: (585) 263-6599
• Mt. Morris Livingston County Campus : (585) 243-7407
• Jefferson Family Wellness Center at Jefferson Middle School: (585)277-0162

Oral Health Care for Underserved & Uninsured
The Downtown Health Care Center dental clinic is a collaborative effort involving Eastman Dental Center, Highland Hospital, and Rochester Primary Care Network. The Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation Outreach Dental Center at School #17 is a partnership involving School No. 17 and the Rochester City School District, the University of Rochester Medical Center, Eastman Dental Center, Strong Health, and Unity Health System, which operates the on-site medical center. Both clinics provide preventive and primary dental care services for both children and adults with its primary focus on under-served, uninsured and the homeless populations.

Staff at Each Site

• Pediatric/General Dentist
• Pediatric/Genearl Residents
• Dental Hygienist
• Dental Assistant
• Administrative coordinator

Support for Services

• Medicaid (Managed Care)
• Federal, state, and county grants and contracts
• Community grants and contributions
• Eastman Dental Center annual giving
• Professional and corporate donations

Educational Services
Oral-health education is provided on the SMILEmobile and other outreach school dental clinics to each child who is treated as well as to other non-participating children in the classrooms. Formal and informal presentations on the importance of children's dental health care are also provided to parents, guardians, teachers, school nurses, social workers, community leaders, and day care centers.

Community Services
Oral health screenings and referral services are provided for inner city as well as rural elementary schools, ABC Head Start, and other neighborhood civic organizations.