Tooth Talk: Magazine cites ‘Grim implications for oral health in Indian Country’
By Mary Ellen Volansky, MS, EPDH
That title, as grim as it sounds, was
borrowed from an article in American
Indian Report, the Falmouth Institute’s
online magazine. This magazine was
reporting on research titled An Assess
ment of Oral Health on the Pine Ridge
Indian Reservation. This research was
conducted by the center for Native
Oral Health Research. You can find the
press release at wkkf.org/news/Arti-
cles/2011/11/Study-of-Oral-Healath-on-
the-Pine-Ridge-Reservation.aspx.
According to this article, the 28,797
people who live on the Pine Ridge Res
ervation have only nine dentists to serve
them. At one visit per patient per year,
those nine dentists would have 12-13
appointments each weekday without a
single day off.
One appointment doesn't even begin
to serve the needs of dental patients. That
first appointment would be for an exam, a
process utilized by the dental profession
to assess and determine the dental treat
ment needs of a patient. That said, how
would those 28,797 people get the treat
ment deemed necessary during that exam?
The Siletz Dental Clinic has two
dentists and one hygienist to serve you
five days a week during the year. One
thing that keeps us from meeting your
oral health needs are the patients who
make an appointment - we set aside
a chair and time to provide care - and
that person doesn't show up and doesn't
call to let us know of their decision to
not come to the clinic. We call that a
“broken appointment.”
Cancelling an appointment is when
a patient calls us ahead of time and
reschedules their existing appointment for
a day and time that is more convenient for
them. This is convenient for us too. Sara
Bell-Tellez, patient coordinator, can call
another patient, maybe a person waiting to
come in to get that crown placed, a tooth
filled or have their teeth cleaned.
Broken appointments waste money
and time. The money wasted is your
Tribe's money, spent on staff and prepara
tions to treat the patient who broke their
appointment. The dental chair sits empty
when there could be a patient sitting com
fortably. The time wasted belongs to your
fellow Tribal members who would gladly
be sitting in that empty chair having their
dental treatment completed.
In addition, we get complaints from
people about not being able to schedule
appointments close enough. Or we are
asked why appointments have to be
scheduled so far out, six weeks or more
down the calendar road.
You can help. Please call us if you
are unable to keep your scheduled
appointment for dental work. We will
happily change your appointment to a
more convenient time for you. Also, if you
are able to come into the clinic on short
notice, let us know when you schedule
your dental appointment.
Back to the study at Pine Ridge - the
decay rate for those 28,797 people was
found to be 90 percent, three times the
national U.S. average. The national aver
age isn't that great when you consider the
following: “Fifty million people in the
United States live in areas experiencing
dental health shortages.”
This next comment in the article sur
prised and warmed my professional heart:
“Some success with increasing access to
care in these areas has been found through
programs that extend duties of dental
therapists and allows them the authority
to provide routine care.”
The authors offered in support the
work that has been done in Alaska,
where 35,000 people who previously
went without care are now receiving
dental care. They suggested adopting this
model in more areas, specifically in
Native communities.
Your suggestions are welcome;
e-mail me at maryellenv@ctsi.nsn.us.
Sealant Clinic returns to help protect kids’ teeth, save money for families
This annual event for students in all
grades at Siletz Valley Schools (SVS) will
be held Feb 21-23. All students will be
transported to the clinic and back to school.
Are you wondering if a student who
had sealants last year will need them this
year? The answer is, yes they will.
The teeth of grade school children are
changing. Baby teeth are leaving - 20 in
all. Adult (permanent) teeth grow in place
of all those baby teeth. As many as 32 teeth
will arrive between the ages of 5 and 18.
These new adult teeth need to be pro
tected. Sealant and fluoride varnish are the
means to do that for people of all ages.
This service provided by the Siletz
Community Health Clinic is free. What
does that mean to the family of an SVS
student? One sealant would cost about
$42 per tooth. One application of fluoride
varnish costs about the same. The exam/
screening would be an additional cost.
Generally, we apply two to 16 seal
ants and one fluoride varnish. The cost
savings for the student's family could be
from $ 176 to $764 per student. Plus, home
care supplies are provided.
If we see that something needs to be
treated, we will let you know. If you are
not eligible to be seen at the Siletz Clinic,
contact me and I'll help you locate ser
vices in the community.
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Any SVS student is welcome to par
ticipate in this clinic. Prior to the clinic,
a parent or guardian must complete a
permission form, usually included in the
SVS registration packet.
If you want your SVS student to
register, contact the school office at 541 -
444-1100 for the application and consent
to treatment form.
If you have questions, contact the
school or call me at 541-444-1030.
In memory of our Tribal members
wbo walkedon in 2011
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(Listed by DOD)
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Siletz Diabetes Talking Circle 2012
DOB
DOD
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Virgil Eugene (Martin) Spratt
01/23/67
01/07/11
Third Thursday of every month, 12:00-1:30
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Velma Edith (Collins) Redmer
05/29/12
02/06/11
At THIicum Fitness Center, 1016 West Buford, Siletz
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Sally Margaret (Hughes) Engstrom
05/19/13
03/01/11
Kitti Kay Kavanaugh
11/19/58
03/19/11
Martin Dugan
06/04/49
03/30/11
Wanda Mae Sanders
09/22/64
04/04/11
Monte Wayne Kenttä
05/19/53
04/08/11
Timothy Patrick Viles
10/11/58
04/15/11
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William Clark John
07/01/33
04/17/11
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Aurelia Darlene (Picard) Williams
05/19/36
05/20/11
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Geraldine Rose (Girard) Jordan
07/11/33
05/25/11
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Grace Mae Olson
05/29/57
06/24/11
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Cynthia Louise (Keene) Gentle
12/19/58
07/06/11
Claudine Dorinda Holmes
02/22/65
07/17/11
Joseph Clayton Martin
06/12/53
09/11/11
Edell Arness (Collins) Richards
07/13/49
09/12/11
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Nadine Helen (Cooley) McDonald
11/24/30
09/23/11
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Calvin Leroy VanPelt
09/04/24
09/25/11
Robert Lee John
09/29/38
09/30/11
Debra Sue Riding In
07/08/63
10/01/11
Barbara Joan (Flanary) Bennett
05/05/48
10/29/11
Patricia Marie (Flagg) Anderson
03/18/55
11/03/11
Tim Duane Mason
01/13/51
11/04/11
Roberta Suzanne (DePoe) Zob
02/20/46
12/06/11
Robert Dodd
11/23/30
12/16/11
Roy A. Downey
05/04/30
12/31/11
Come if you have diabetes or want to help control
or prevent diabetes in your family!
Free lunch is followed by roundtable and special speakers:
• January 19, 2012—Warren Sparks, MD
Vasculopathy
• February 16—George Nagel, LCSW, Mental Health Specialist
Mental Health and Diabetes
• March 15—Sky Schroeder, Optometrist
Diabetic Retinopathy
• April 19—Nadine Grzeskowiak, RN CEN
Gluten Intolerance and Celiac Disease
• May 17—Leatha Lynch, PharmD, RPH
Medication Use and Questions
SAVE FOR YOUR CALENDAR. NO NEED TO REGISTER
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Siletz News
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February 2012
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