BELTON, Mo., (Jun. 16, 2021) – Cass Community Health Foundation completed its piloted teledentistry program at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. With funding from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and Delta Dental of Missouri, the program visited select Cass County and Grandview schools to provide essential oral health care to students.
Staff members of Cass Community Health Foundation’s safety net dental clinic, Cass County Dental Clinic captured images, videos, and x-rays that were examined by Cass County Dental Clinic dentist Dr. Madeline Sloan. Dr. Sloan used the images to develop a treatment plan that was either delivered in a school-based setting or at the dental clinic.
“The teledentistry team is providing an invaluable service for families in our community,” Dr. Sloan said. “Based on our findings during the pilot program, many of the children we saw were not getting routine oral health treatment.”
Through the teledentistry program, Cass Community Health Foundation and Cass County Dental Clinic served 159 students at Belvidere Elementary, Butcher-Greene Elementary, Cambridge Elementary, Conn West Elementary, Gladden Elementary, Hillcrest STEAM Academy, Kentucky Trail Elementary, Martin City K-8, and Meadowmere Elementary. Dr. Sloan developed 112 treatment plans to be presented to families.
“Just over 70% of the children we treated through teledentistry needed follow-up care to treat decay,” Dr. Sloan said. “These children are insured through Medicaid or are uninsured and low-income. It’s clear that our teledentistry services are filling a gap in oral health care.”
The teledentistry program will resume in fall 2021. Cass Community Health Foundation and Cass County Dental Clinic will return to the schools that have already received teledentistry services with a goal of expanding to two additional school districts during the 2021-2022 school year.
Learn more about Cass Community Health Foundation’s other oral health efforts at casscommunityhealth.org.
