{"id":6562,"date":"2025-02-26T15:54:45","date_gmt":"2025-02-26T15:54:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fchealth.org\/?p=6562"},"modified":"2025-04-18T13:20:00","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T13:20:00","slug":"breaking-barriers-to-dental-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fchealth.org\/breaking-barriers-to-dental-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaking Barriers to Dental Care"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style>\n      main#main .block_4b8e2aed7e81ca28523466f553e9d8c9,\n    main#main .block_4b8e2aed7e81ca28523466f553e9d8c9 .heading > * {\n      background-color: #FFFFFF;\n    }\n  \n      main#main .block_4b8e2aed7e81ca28523466f553e9d8c9 {\n      color: #084c95;\n    }\n    main#main .block_4b8e2aed7e81ca28523466f553e9d8c9 .styled-heading {\n      -webkit-text-stroke-color: #084c95;\n    }\n    main#main .block_4b8e2aed7e81ca28523466f553e9d8c9 .styled-heading::after {\n      border-color: #084c95;\n    }\n    main#main .block_4b8e2aed7e81ca28523466f553e9d8c9 a.cta::after {\n      background-color: #084c95;\n    }\n  \n      main#main .block_4b8e2aed7e81ca28523466f553e9d8c9 .styled-heading {\n      text-shadow: -0.04em 0.04em #2bd6d6;\n    }\n    main#main .block_4b8e2aed7e81ca28523466f553e9d8c9 a.cta {\n      background-color: #2bd6d6;\n    }\n  <\/style>\n\n<div  class=\"wp-block-heading-cta block_4b8e2aed7e81ca28523466f553e9d8c9 full-width-block\">\n  <section class=\"heading-cta\">\n    <div class=\"row\">\n      <div class=\"col\">\n                  <div class=\"heading\">\n            <h4>Breaking <span class=\"styled-heading\">Barriers\u00a0 <\/span>to Dental Care<\/h4>\n          <\/div>\n                          <div class=\"body-copy\">\n            <p><em>How two organizations are providing high-quality dental care for all children<\/em><\/p>\n          <\/div>\n                <div class=\"buttons\">\n                  <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>About Brooker Memorial &amp; Sun River Health<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/brookermemorial.org\/\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-indigo-600-color\">Maria Seymour Brooker Memorial<\/mark><\/a> is dedicated to building a stronger, more supportive community through its many offerings to support children and families. Brooker is a true community resource in our rural area, from childcare for children of all ages to their dental care center to programs for older teens. Brooker Memorial\u2019s pediatric dental care programs, which just celebrated 30 years of service, provide high-quality oral health services to all children who come through their doors. Recognizing the need for children to have affordable and accessible oral health care, Brooker operates a dental practice at their location in Torrington and school-based oral health programs, two of which serve students in northwest Connecticut\u2019s Region 1 and Region 7 (Botelle Elementary School).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sunriver.org\/\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-indigo-600-color\">Sun River Health<\/mark><\/a>, established in 1975, is an organization comprised of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) that guarantees high-quality health care for all, regardless of the cost of services. Among Sun River Health\u2019s wide range of healthcare services are several school-based oral health programs in partnership with Dover Union Free School District.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Our Work with Brooker Memorial &amp; Sun River Health<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2007, FCH partnered with Brooker Memorial to launch a school-based oral health program in Connecticut\u2019s Region 1 School District. Then in 2021, Brooker expanded its reach to Norfolk\u2019s Botelle Elementary School in Region 7. Meanwhile, across the state line in northeastern Dutchess County, New York, there wasn\u2019t a school-based oral health provider. To help fill that gap, we supported Sun River Health (formerly Hudson River HealthCare) in establishing a local dental practice with the primary goals of launching a school-based oral health program. By 2012, Sun River Health officially launched its own program in the Dover Union Free School District.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>In both programs, a dental hygienist brings care directly to students using portable equipment. In close coordination with school administration, faculty, and parents, the first visit includes a full exam to check the health of teeth, gums, and mouth. If needed, the hygienist provides dental sealants and other treatments whenever the child feels comfortable\u2014right away or over multiple visits. Each year, these programs serve <strong>over 700 students<\/strong>, providing exams, cleanings, and preventive treatments like fluoride varnish, which helps strengthen tooth enamel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The impact of these programs is critical because tooth decay remains the most chronic childhood disease in the U.S.\u20141 in 5 kids aged 5 to 11 has an untreated cavity. Cavities can lead to pain, infections, and trouble eating, speaking, or even sleeping. This, in turn, affects school attendance and performance. In fact, research shows that students with dental pain are more likely to miss school and struggle academically.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-style-default\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"726\" height=\"545\" src=\"https:\/\/fchealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Picture1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6565\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fchealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Picture1.jpg 726w, https:\/\/fchealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Picture1-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 726px) 100vw, 726px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Photo by Anne Day. Brooker Memorial\u2019s dental hygienist Debra Ravlin teaches a child proper brushing technique. Debra is a dental hygienist at Brooker Memorial, which operates the school-based oral health programs in Region 1 and Region 7.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the benefits and efficacy of preventable care, many children\u2014especially those covered by Medicaid\u2014face challenges accessing care, such as lack of dental insurance, difficulty finding dentists who accept Medicaid, limited awareness about oral health and available preventive services, and fewer dental care options in rural communities compared to urban areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By supporting school-based oral health programs, we\u2019re helping to bridge these gaps, ensuring that more kids get the dental care they need to stay healthy, confident, and ready to learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Brooker Memorial and Sun River Health operate school-based oral health programs in our region. These organizations are committed to providing high-quality, affordable, and accessible oral care to all children. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":6573,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"iawp_total_views":7,"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[150,151,64,149,65],"class_list":["post-6562","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-improve-community-assets","tag-preventative-care","tag-rural-health","tag-school-based-oral-health","tag-social-determinants-of-health"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Breaking Barriers to Dental Care | Foundation for Community Health<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Brooker Memorial and Sun River Health operate school-based oral health programs in our region. 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