Dental
The focus of dental services at Virginia Garcia is primarily on children, up to age 21. We offer comprehensive dental care to children, both insured and uninsured, with the goal to establish a dental home for all children seen in our medical clinics. At Virginia Garcia, we recognize the vital importance of seeing children for their first dental visit by their first birthday or first tooth, and we hold “Baby Days” once a month at our Hillsboro and McMinnville Dental clinics.
(Pictured at right, Dr. Lisa Bozzetti and patient.)
Additionally, we offer dental screening, comprehensive treatment and education sessions to established OB patients at all Virginia Garcia sites, whether or not they have insurance. At this time we are only able to see adults for acute care on a very limited basis.
Virginia Garcia's Dental Program Spotlight
The big news in the Virginia Garcia dental program is the federal expansion grant received in 2009 that will significantly expand services at VG McMinnville. Beginning this spring, VG McMinnville will double its dental staff to add: a dentist, a dental assistant, hygienist, a case manager and an outreach specialist. The dental clinic will have a much greater capacity to serve pregnant women and children and to reach out to target populations, such as those with diabetes, for particular dental care.
“Diabetes is an expensive disease and many patients cannot afford to include dental care,” said Dr. Lisa Bozzetti, dental director. “Yet we see patients who have infections, periodontal disease and bone loss due to diabetes. Our program can help these patients get the care they need.”
The expansion grant has also allowed the dental program to broaden their relationship with the VG McMinnville to co-produce educational materials and workshops on diabetes care.
The dental program is now in its second year of providing special comprehensive services to pregnant women. The OB Dental Program provides free dental health and hygiene screenings for Virginia Garcia patients who are pregnant and have been referred for dental care. The program educates women on the importance of dental health in infants and young children and encourages follow up care post-partum for patients and their family members.
(Pictured above, Virginia Garcia patient, Javier, and Virginia Garcia staff member.)
“We find that many older children have significant dental needs; many cavities from when they were young. If we can educate women during pregnancy about the importance of good dental hygiene in young children, we may head off some of the need for care later on,” said Bozzetti.
The OB Dental Program is a primary focus for the Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation, according to Bozzetti, because the free services currently being provided are not fee-based. “Research shows us that dental care is as important as other prenatal care pregnant women need,” said Bozzetti. “Our goal is to promote long term health for our patients and their children.”
Last year, more than half of the women who enrolled in OB Dental classes continued with their dental treatment; a trend the clinic hopes will continue. The dental program continues to work with OHSU and Pacific University students who do a dental rotation at one of the clinics.
“It continues to be a win-win for everyone,” said Bozzetti. Recently, the Hillsboro dental clinic received a special gift from Dr’s Samuel and James Mattson, who donated a dental x-ray machine valued at $4,000.
Click here to read our dental program spotlight.
