The University of Florida College of Dentistry, or UFCD, received $344,495 in a Youth Health Grant from the Children’s Trust of Alachua County for 2024-2025 to support the growth of the college’s Saving Smiles Program.
The UFCD Saving Smiles Program provides prevention-focused dental services and education to children who face challenges in accessing oral healthcare. Children’s Trust funding will allow the UFCD Saving Smiles Program to expand its capacity to provide high-quality and accessible dental services for children in school and community-based settings, primarily in East Gainesville and the rural communities of Archer, Hawthorne, Micanopy and Waldo.
“Tooth decay is the number one most common chronic disease in children. Left untreated, it can result in pain, infection, difficulty eating and speaking, poor sleep, and declines in school performance and attendance,” said Olga Ensz, D.M.D., M.P.H., a clinical assistant professor of community dentistry and behavioral science and the program director for the college’s community-based outreach.
Ensz says that some of the greatest barriers reported by parents in accessing dental care for their child include cost, lack of dental insurance or insurance not accepted, and long wait times for appointments. Other common challenges include language barriers and limited transportation.
“Our partnership with the Children’s Trust of Alachua County provides much-needed financial support without which we would only be able to provide a fraction of these essential services to children who are in desperate need of dental care,” Ensz said. “We unfortunately encounter children almost every day who are living with dental pain and infection or who don’t even have their own toothbrush, and it is a great gift to be able to help them thanks to the health-focused priorities of the Children’s Trust.”
“The first goal of the Trust is to promote the health and overall wellbeing of all Alachua County children and youth. In the past, we funded the Saving Smiles Program through other grants,” said Marsha Kiner, executive director of the Children’s Trust. “The Saving Smiles Program embodies our intentions for our Youth Health Initiative which is to provide essential care for families in need and bringing services directly to them. Today, we are thrilled to continue our investment for the good of youth health throughout our county and all its municipalities.”
The Youth Health Grant will primarily support personnel costs for new dental clinical team members involved in dental care delivery and program operations. This award allowed the UFCD Saving Smiles Program to hire a program coordinator, a dental hygienist, and a dental assistant. They also plan to add a community health worker who will facilitate patient scheduling and follow-up care, provide oral health education to parents, and promote dental health through community engagement and active participation in local health fairs. A portion of the funding will also contribute to transportation assistance to families through Uber Health, continuing education for dental team members on trauma-informed care and treatment of children with special needs, as well as dental hygiene goodie bags for 5,000 children.
ABOUT THE UF DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DENTISTRY AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE
Since 2010, the Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science has conducted annual county-wide oral health screenings of third-grade students in Alachua County Public Schools. In Fall 2023, 36% of third graders had untreated tooth decay, and about 1-in-10 third graders were found to have urgent dental issues such as tooth pain or dental abscesses. Saving Smiles data from 2023 showed that 86% of patients did not have a current dentist upon entering the program, and 17% had missed school or saw a school nurse for dental concerns. The Saving Smiles Program directly connects these children with much-needed dental care in safe and convenient settings throughout Alachua County.
ABOUT THE CHILDREN’S TRUST OF ALACHUA COUNTY
The Children’s Trust of Alachua County funds and supports a coordinated system of community services that allows all children, youth and their families to thrive. Its funded programs and partnerships address three main goals: that all children and youth are healthy and have nurturing caregivers, can learn what they need to be successful, and live in a safe community.