Tooth Talk: Another successful Sealant Clinic thanks to volunteers, staff
By Mary Ellen Volansky, RDH, MS
This year's clinic for Siletz Valley
School (SVS) students was such a success
it s difficult to know where to begin - with
the outstanding volunteers, the bright and
cooperative students or the great statistics.
These statistics for 2012 are not manip
ulated to prove some point. They, like sta
tistics for every clinic for SVS students so
far. show an increase in services provided.
2008 was the first year our num-
' bers stepped out of the expected. We
were proud then that over two days we
provided 127 students with screenings,
sealants, home care supplies and instruc
tions. and fluoride varnish. In the years
before 2(X)8. the numbers were fewer than
100 students at each clinic. Just the year
before. 2007. we saw 63 students.
Over the years those numbers have
expanded and this February we hit
another milestone. We saw' 182 students
Photos by Natasha Kavanaugh
and provided 875 sealants. 182 screenings
Dr. Douglas ( hadwick and Alison Noble, dental assistant, check for cavities and
and 181 fluoride varnishes.
apply sealants to the teeth of a student from Siletz Valley School.
If these students went to a private
dental practice, the cost to provide those
tai home. Your primary care physician/ of volunteers hasn't grown but the faces
same services would total $55,713. If an
provider is your medical home. You also
have changed.
individual were to pay for an average set
should have a dental home, which should
First, we did miss Maggie Norton,
of these services, it would cost on average
be found beginning at age 6 months. For
who has steadfastly worked at the Seal
about $306.12 each.
Siletz Tribal members, the Siletz Dental
ant Clinics for four years. In spite of our
Cavities? Yes, there were cavities.
Clinic can be your dental home.
missing her. she is wished much success.
185 visible to the eye. When a cavity is
big enough to be seen with the naked
A special thank you goes to Terry
Thank you to volunteers
eye. there is a risk the tooth could easily
Neilson and Mary Parker at SVS. These
Volunteers! You're wondering if 1
become painful. There also is a likelihood
two women collected parental consent
had forgotten them? Impossible! The list
that smaller cavities exist.
forms back in August along with their
In the Siletz Dental Clinic, we like to
find smaller cavities because they are eas
ier to treat and more comfortable for the
patient. X-rays are needed to locate and
diagnose these smaller cavities, which
requires a dental office and a dentist.
This is why we refer all students at
the Sealant Clinic to their dental home.
We sent letters to all parents/guardians of
these students that refer students to their
dentist for regular dental care, including
the 76 students with visible cavities. Their
letters asked the parent or guardian to
schedule a visit with a dentist soon.
One of the goals of Head Start is to
Mary Ellen Volansky (left photo), dental hygienist, and Misty Reed (right photo),
find every student a medical and a den-
dental assistant, check students teeth during the annual Sealant Clinic in February.
Nesika lllahee Pow-Wow
Vendor Application
Vendor applications are now available for the 2012 Nesika lllahee Pow-Wow
on Aug. 10-12, 2012. Please call Nick Sixkiller at 800-922-1399, ext. 1207 or
1757; or e-mail nicks@ctsi.nsn.us.
You also can find the applications online at ctsi.nsn.us or pick them up at
the Siletz Tribal Community Center, Tribal administration building in Siletz
and at the Tribal area offices in Portland, Salem and Eugene.
Siletz Tribal Royalty Applications
Applications are now available for Siletz Tribal Royalty for 2012-2013. To
request an application for Miss Siletz (age 18-24), Junior Miss Siletz (age 13-17)
and Little Miss Siletz (age 7-12), please call Bev Youngman at 541-444-8290
or 800-922-1399, ext. 1290; or e-mail bevy@ctsi.nsn.us.
You also can find the applications online at ctsi.nsn.us or pick them up at
the Siletz Tribal Community Center, Tribal administration building in Siletz
and at the Tribal area offices in Portland, Salem and Eugene.
The deadline to submit applications for Siletz Royalty is June 1.
6
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Siletz News
•
April 2012
load of papers for student registration.
They also coordinated students' schedules
with teachers' needs so each student could
be seen.
Sylvia Butler, working with the SVS
staff, successfully transported all 182 of
those students. With these three compe
tent people, nothing would have happened
at this annual clinic.
Seven employees (non-dental) from
across the Tribal workforce also made
it possible to deliver so many services
to those 182 students. These women
stepped out of their comfort zones, work
and home, to be sure as many students as
possible could be seen.
They have been certified to provide
fluoride varnishes, are knowledgeable
of infection control practices and dem
onstrate they are people with whom
anyone would be pleased to work. Those
seven people are Adrienne Crookes.
Cecilia Tolentino, Verdene McGuire,
Sharon Mason, Chuvonne Metcalf. Wendi
Schamp and Trish Carey.
Chuvonne and Trish had the hardest
job. this being their first year on this job.
Their task was to monitor the coming and
going of students and their health records,
including w hat services were provided. A
job well done too!
The other volunteers worked chair
side with us, except Wendi, who fed us all.
Lunch is an eat-as-you-can process. This
allows us to make the most of the school
day, which is shorter than our work day.
“Us" are the usual dental profession
als you see at the Siletz Dental Clinic. We
are the hard working and diligent people
you know from your regular visits to your
dental home: Dr. Douglas Chadwick;
Dr. Megan Saxton; Bobbi Foley. Bonnie
McAlpine, Alison Noble and Misty Reed,
dental assistants; and yours truly. Together
we make a formidable team.
My hope is that learning about the
good work of the Siletz Tribe and the good
work the people who serve you provided
to the members of your community, will
be reassuring to you. Everyone has much
to be proud of with this annual event,
especially this year.
UO museum store seeks artwork
The University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History’s museum
store, Past and Presents, is seeking a limited number of artists interested in sell
ing their original high quality crafts or non-2D artwork for sale on consignment
in our museum gift store.
We invite Pacific Northwest Tribal members to submit four digital images
of their work for consideration to Tracey Bell, visitor services coordinator, at
tracey @ uoregon.edu.
The University of Oregon’s Museum of Natural and Cultural History pro
tects significant collections, enhances knowledge and encourages stewardship
of human and natural history through research, preservation and education.
Past and Presents offers a comprehensive selection of regional books and
gifts that reflect the museum’s exhibits, collections and research, as well as the
inspiration of the Pacific Northwest landscape. It features handcrafted goods from
local and regional artists, including jewelry, pottery, basketry and woodworking.
Books on anthropology, geology, paleontology, Oregon’s cultural history,
archaeology, natural history and an extensive offering of field guides are avail
able so you can continue to learn after your visit to the museum.