Low-income kids get dental care: Green Bay Area Public School District / Wisconsin.

Providing dental care to low-income children was recognized as a critical need to be met by the Rotary Club of Green Bay, Wis. which partnered with the Green Bay Public School District to take on the challenge.

In the past few years in Green Bay, the dental access shortage for the low-income population reached unprecedented levels. Based on regional dental screenings, it was estimated in 2004 that more than 11,000 children in the district needed from basic to emergency dental care, and more than 6,900 had a history of tooth decay.

Across the nation, inadequate access to dental care affects children's quality of life and their ability to function at school. Dental care is the most prevalent unmet health need among children, and tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease.

For about 50 percent of low-income children nationwide, tooth decay remains untreated, often causing pain and suffering. Low-income children have almost 12 times more restricted-activity days than their peers because of dental-related illness.

The Rotary Club made the dental effort its centennial project. Its goal was the creation and initial funding of a program to provide dental services to children who had no dentist of their own. Superintendent Daniel Nerad of the Green Bay Public School District was an enthusiastic partner, and in January 2005, the Rotarians and the school district launched the Healthy Teeth, Healthy Kids program, which led to the school district being named the Wisconsin state winner in the 2007 National Civic Star Award competition.

Under the program, up to five days per week, a paid professional and volunteer team travel to the schools with portable equipment. So far the program has provided nearly 1,000 Medicaid-enrolled and uninsured children with preventive and restorative dental care.

The program has made a seemingly insurmountable task achieveable. It is at the forefront of dental health models in Wisconsin and is expected to serve as a model for counties throughout the state. The program is not only helping children to sleep at night and concentrate during the day but is also teaching them healthy patterns for life through education and follow-up care.

The Rotary Club is providing $300,000 to support the program. Delta Dental of Wisconsin gave $375,000. The Salvation Army provides in-kind storage space and secured $11,000 in grants over three years for a van driver and maintenance. Sentry Medical Products Inc. supplies surgical gloves for the dental staff. More than $52,000 in local donations helped purchase other necessary dental equipment. The Brown County United Way, the Boys & Girls Club and Brown County Human Services provide in-kind grant writers. Others also donate time and resources to support the program.

For more information, contact Superintendent Daniel A. Nerad at [phone] or by e-mail at [e-mail]. His mailing address is Green Bay Area Public School District, 200 S. Broadway, Green Bay, WI 54303.