Preventing Early Tooth Decay and Promoting Healthy Teeth
Over the past eight years, the Covenant Health System- Community Outreach Children’s Dental programs in Lubbock, Texas and Artesia, New Mexico have provided comprehensive dental care in a “kid-friendly” atmosphere to children whose families are without dental insurance and struggle to meet basic needs. The clinics serve school age children up to the age of 18 with a comprehensive range of preventative and restorative dental services.

The Dental Clinic in Lubbock is located adjacent to the Lakeside Campus and is accessible from every bus route in the city. The Artesia clinic is located adjacent to the campus of Artesia General Hospital that serves the greater Eddy County area in New Mexico. 

In Lubbock County, a limited number of Medicaid providers were available, and the wait time for services exceeded one year for some age groups. In New Mexico, there was a particular need to provide oral health screenings for Head Start children ages 4 and 5.  Prior to the clinic in Artesia being opened, children were often transported 100 miles or more to the closest dental provider.

The goal of both dental clinics is to provide a “dental home” for uninsured or underinsured children. For children, clinical outcomes are significantly improved with preventative measures such as regular dental hygiene appointments and the placement of dental sealants to protect teeth from decay and toothbrush erosion. 

At these clinics, a proactive approach to treatment is developed for each child following a comprehensive exam by the dentist that includes full mouth x-rays.  The dentist then reviews the needed treatment with the parent and points out any potential problems below the gum line that are not yet visible in the child’s mouth. The clinics also provide a full range of oral health education for both the parents and the children.

The clinics were started in the fall of 2001. Both clinics serve areas designated as Dental Health Professional Shortage areas. Some counties served have no dentist at all and others rank far below the federal standard of 1 dentist per 1,050 residents. 

In FY 2008, the Lubbock Clinic provided over 2,400 patient encounters and about $486,000 in services.  The school based preventative program associated with the Lubbock Clinic provided over 800 patient encounters and approximately $55,000 in uncompensated services.  The New Mexico Clinic provided almost 1,900 patient encounters and approximately $455,000 in services.

A collaborative effort with the South Plains District Dental Society calls for the South Plains District Dental Society to host, in conjunction with the Texas Dental Association, a “Mission of Mercy” event in Lubbock in 2009.  “Mission of Mercy” events gather the resources of volunteer dentists and hygienists from around the state to provide two full days of dental care at no cost to underserved populations in individual communities.

Both the Texas and New Mexico dental programs are primarily funded through Covenant Health System’s Care for the Poor Fund (CHO).  Reimbursement from Medicaid is collected for children who qualify.  In past years, the dental programs have also been recipients of grant funding from the Texas Dental Association Foundation and the R.D. and Joan Dale Hubbard Foundation in New Mexico.    Top