Tooth Talk: Sealant Clinic to treat more than 200 children in just 3 days
By Mary Ellen Volansky, EPDH, MS
The annual sealant clinic for Siletz
Valley School (SVS) is set for Feb. 26-28.
During this clinic, students will receive
a screening, home care instructions and
home care supplies.
After the screening, sealants are placed
as needed and we will place temporary
fillings if they are needed as well. We will
provide a letter to parents of the treatment
provided and will indicate if any immediate
treatment needs require attention.
If your children attend SVS and you
would like to have them seen in our clinic,
it is still possible to sign up. Most students
signed up at registration in late summer.
If your child is new to SVS or you
did not complete the form at registration,
call Teri Nielson at SVS, 541-444-1100,
to receive the one-page form to fill out.
Siletz Library receives Baha’i books
Siletz Baha’is Kathleen VanPelt
Forster, Tribal Elder, and her husband,
Richard Forster, recently presented Siletz
Librarian Carol Schramm (center in
photo below) with
two Baha’i books
for the religion sec-
tion of the library.
The books,
Some Answered
Questions and
Indian Tribes of
the Pacific Coast,
are written about or
by Baha’is. They
are the first Baha’i
books in the library.
Questions read-
ers may have regard-
ing spirit, mind and
soul are answered
by Abdul Baha,
son of the founder of the Baha’i faith,
Baha’u’llah (Glory of God). He gave these
answers in synagogues, churches, mosques
and colleges across the U.S. in 1912. 2012
marked the 100 th anniversary of his visit.
Readers who have read Warriors of
the Rainbow will recognize the author’s
name, Vinson Brown, as he tells of the
trials of the Indians from Alaska to Cali-
Courtesy photo by Steve Power
fornia in his book, Indian Tribes of the
Pacific Coast.
Other book presentations for the
library will be made in February. Dates
and times will be announced.
Many of the materials we use during
this clinic are donated by the American
Dental Association, including (but not
limited to) sealant, fluoride varnish, home
care supplies and bibs. Dr. Megan Saxton
applied for the grant this year, which has
to be done by the beginning of October.
The Siletz Dental Clinic received the
largest amount of these supplies given to
any program in Oregon. Go, Dr. Saxton!
Another area and importance is the
volunteers. These are people who step out
of their usual work day and take on tasks
that are new or seldom done in their regu-
lar jobs. Some of them leave their families
in the valley to work at the sealant clinic.
They work for three days in a new
setting and with different people than
usual. These volunteers keep up with a
busy schedule as they help us care for up
to 225 children in three days. They do this
with a gentle ease and a smile.
This year, these courageous volun-
teers are Adrienne Crookes, April Bender,
Verdene McGuire and Cecilia Tolentino.
Staff involved in this clinic include Drs.
Douglas Chadwick and Megan Saxton;
Dental Assistants Bobbi Foley, Bonnie
McAlpine, June O’Connor and Misty Reed;
Sara Bell-Tellez in reception; and me.
We are a hard-working group of
people who love what we do. This clinic
is a chance for us to shine a tad brighter,
or maybe a tad harder, as we step out of
our professional comfort zones to serve
our community.
At SVS, Teri Nielson and Cami Stam
organize the student end of things for the
sealant clinic. They develop the schedule
of who (as in what grades) and when
(every 30 minutes from 8:45 a.m. to 1:30
p.m. each day).
Every 30 minutes, a group of 10 stu-
dents will leave SVS for the clinic and
another group will leave the clinic and
return to SVS. This involves coordinating
with each student’s classes, activities and
the ever-important lunch – for all 200 + of
them. Boggles my mind just describing
their work, let alone doing it. Thank you,
Teri and Cami.
The transporter has the busy task of
driving back and forth every 30 minutes
to pick up or drop off those 10 students.
He or she must attend to safety, seat belts
and traffic and then walk them to the
clinic conference room. Last year, the
transporter was Sylvia Butler. This year’s
transporter has not yet been determined.
This sealant clinic has grown each
year I have worked here, seven clinics
so far. Every year, we have exceeded our
outreach to children in our community,
increasing their chances for a life of
healthy smiles.
If I could get each of you who make
this clinic possible an award, I would.
What I can give you is my respect and
admiration … thank you.
Healthy Kids
supplements
IHS coverage
Check out new
NDNSpark
website
SAVE THE DATE
When: April 4, 2013
Registration Check-in: 9 a.m.
Activities: 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Where: Chinook Winds Casino
All Tribal Elders and spouse OR care giver
have been invited to the Annual Circle of
Friendship Siletz Tribal Elders Honor Day.
No children and families please.
Honor day will provide:
Luncheon, Bingo, Door
Prizes, Goodie Bags and
Entertainment
Registration due by Feb. 28, 2013
8
•
Siletz News
•
February 2013
Specifically designed for
Native youth (13-24 years old),
NDNSpark is a new tool from the
National Congress of American
Indians (NCAI) that will help you
set goals and track your progress.
Whether you plan to walk a mile
every day, improve your jump shot
or read a new book every month,
NDNSpark’s goal tracker will record
your goals, track your progress and
challenge others in your community.
NDNSpark is an online commu-
nity for Native youth to use as they
develop into the next generation of
leaders. The online community will
support youth as they set individual
goals, achieve community goals
and build leadership skills.
Members who sign up at teens.
ncai.sparkpeople.com are added
to the NCAI community, where
monthly goals will be set for our
community, youth teams can estab-
lish their own pages and individu-
als can ask others for ideas or tips
about community projects.
The opportunities are endless
and NCAI looks forward to helping
youth across the nation organize
and achieve any goal they set.
1-877-314 - 5678
www.OregonHealthyKids.gov
We cover all the health coverage
American Indian / Alaska
Native kids and teens need.