HUNTINGTON – ‘Gator Grins’ – the dental outreach program serving students attending Gateway Regional Schools—continues to grow!
“When we started in 2008, we had a single chair in the back room of the nurse’s office and treated only a handful of students,” staff noted in a letter home to parents. “Now we’re a fully operational, two-chair dental office serving over 300 students.”
As such, the program no longer fits in the school nurse’s office and Gateway has arranged for space across from the high school cafeteria and just down the hall from the Gateway School-Based Health Center (SBHC). Starting this year, Littleville Elementary School students will be escorted over to the new space for their dental appointments by Gator Grins staff, and back to Littleville when their appointment is done. The dental program will still travel to Chester Elementary School.
The growth and success of the program led to recognition by the Forsythe Institute, which granted funds to increase Gator Grin’s digital x-ray equipment. The program has also increased its clinic days, and is now able to see students on Tuesdays and many Thursdays.
Both Gator Grins and the SBHC are operated by Hilltown Community Health Centers, Inc. Gator Grins provides comprehensive dental exams, x-rays, dental cleaning, fluoride varnishes, dental sealants, amalgam (silver-colored) and composite (white) fillings and emergency dental care. Students who need more extensive treatment are referred to Huntington Health Center and accompanied by their parents/caregivers. Services are funded through grants and insurance billing; no student is denied dental care because of an inability to pay. Under the direction of HCHC’s Dental Department Director, Dr. MayLou Stuart, Gator Grins is staffed by Dr. Emily Bowden, registered dental hygienists Liz Spooner and Lori Paquette, dental assistants Susan Hedges and Kristen Brakey and Program Manager/Coordinator Kiirsten Cooper.
Parents who wish to enroll their child(ren) into Gator Grins need to complete a permission form and medical history, which is sent home at the beginning of the school year. If your son or daughter is due to have his/her cleaning in September then you have already received the necessary paperwork. Gator Grins staff will also be on-hand at all of this fall’s school Open Houses, for parents to speak with. If you have questions, please contact Kiirsten Cooper at (413) 667-3008, ext. 239.
