Collier County Community-Based Programs

The Togetherhood Initiative is a non-profit partnership created to serve the Collier County and Immokalee communities, including support, services, programs, resources and education to promote a healthier lifestyle for those in need.

Our oral health surveillance programs enable the College of Dentistry to take a snapshot of the county’s oral health needs, plan oral health programs, and evaluate the effectiveness of existing programs. Dental screenings for third-graders in 36 Collier County elementary schools allow the identification of visually obvious oral conditions, and help us evaluate if further treatment is needed, while our school-based dental sealant program provides preventative services for Collier County children.

Head Start programs promote the school readiness of preschool-aged children from low-income households. Our dental outreach team provides free preventative dental services to enrolled students throughout the school year, including a dental exam and biannual applications of fluoride varnish.

Located on the Florida SouthWestern State College campus in Naples, our NCEF Pediatric Dental Center treats patients from birth to age 15, as well as special needs children up to age 21. Our unique services include a sensory room to help comfort intellectually disabled children, sedation services and hospital-based operating services, all to help close the gap in oral health care in the community.