Dental clinic for kids delivers smiles

Since 1912, program at Morey school meets needs of low-income families

By Nancy Mitchell
Denver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer

Kathy Bui, 8, lay quietly in the dental chair, her eyes shielded by neon-pink sunglasses, as Dr. Peggy Ramsey filled two cavities.

"She's like the perfect patient here," Ramsey said as she worked at the Kids In Need of Dentistry, or KIND, clinic at Morey Middle School. "We're just going to shine this up for you, Kathy, then you can go."

Kathy's mom, Lan Doan, watched anxiously from the waiting room at the Denver school, home to a dental clinic for low-income families since 1912.

Then Kathy hopped off her chair, picked a small rag doll for her reward and joined mom in the waiting room, both smiling in relief.

Without KIND, it's unlikely families like the Doans could afford proper dental care.

A group of Denver-area dentists, concerned by the number of children missing school because of dental pain, started the program in a renovated classroom at Morey 88 years ago, executive director Nancy Schoyer said.

This year, 11,000 metro-area children will be served by KIND, which has grown to include five clinics and a mobile dental van "Miles for Smiles" serving 16 counties on the Western Slope.

KIND also provides dental screenings for schools and federal Head Start programs and has added the "Chopper Topper" program to provide decay-fighting sealants to second-graders.

The program targets the working poor, those families who do not qualify for Medicaid but whose jobs may not provide benefits. Family income is verified.

Often, parents work service jobs such as waiting tables or picking fruits and vegetables, Schoyer said. Many, like Kathy's mom, who is Vietnamese, speak little English.

Referrals come from school nurses or dentists, Schoyer said. Families are asked to pay 10 percent of the actual costs, plus a $15 office fee, if they can.

More than 400 area dentists volunteer in the program, along with hygienists and students in area dental and hygienist training programs. Some dentists are paid to ensure clinic hours are covered.

Some KIND clinics have waiting lists. In Commerce City, the wait is six weeks.

Schoyer said children served, up to 18 years of age, often come from families who don't know the importance of dental care.

"A lot of families think just because the kids have baby teeth and they're going to fall out, they don't need to take care of them," she said.

Other families don't have toothbrushes. One little boy said he shared his toothbrush with his grandmother, and that "it didn't have much hair left."

Ramsey, who ran her own dental practice before joining the KIND staff, said decay is far more prevalent in the population she now sees. She recently examined an 11-year-old Aurora boy who needed two root canals.

Kathy, the 8-year-old, is a typical case, Schoyer said.

Her first-ever dental visit was Oct. 30. An initial exam revealed that 10 teeth needed attention, includsix with cavities.

All will be filled by KIND.

Contact Nancy Mitchell at (303) 892-5245 or mitchelln@RockyMountainNews.com

December 10, 2000