FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
WE ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS. HERE ARE THE MOST COMMON WE RECEIVE AND PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU HAVE OTHERS.
Q: Which children may participate in the mobile dental program? A: Any child at the school if they do not already have a dentist (we verify last date of service for the prior 12 months). Our typical patient is from a low-income family and has never been to a dentist before. Studies have shown that up to 81% of them do not get adequate dental care.
Q: What is the scope and frequency of service? A: We provide comprehensive care, including follow-up care. Typical services provided are fillings, sealants, exam, cleanings, fluoride treatments, digitial x-rays and others. We also recall children for their regular check-up (typically a 6 month interval).
Q: Which schools may participate and is there a minimum number of students required for Big Smiles to visit our school? A: We work with schools near our local dentists that have a high % of students in the free-reduced lunch program as that is a key indiciator of need. We do not serve schools where the majority of students are likely to already have a provider, as that is not our mission. Because we provide comprehensive care and create a dental home for our patients we need to visit the school at least several times per year. For this reason we prefer a minimum of 50 patients participating at a school so we can return on a regular enough basis to provide patients sufficient access to their dentist. To acheive 50 patients, a school will likely require at least that many consent forms as some children who return them have left the school or we may be unable to reach all the parents via phone to affirm their child's healthy history and participation.
Q: How little work is it for the school? A: The main task is distributing and collecting consent forms. We have identified best practices for doing so and in some areas have a 'Tooth Fairy' that can come out and distribute the forms for you in the classroom. We take care of everything else, including communicating with parents.
Q: Describe the workspace you need on the days you visit? A: We only require about 180 square feet and no sink is needed. We can use virtually any space and can bring privacy screens if necessary. In some limited areas we use a mobile, self-contained operatory that would set up in the school parking lot.
Q: How often will the mobile dental team be at the school? A: It depends on how many children return consent forms. We will come as often as necessary to make sure our patients receive the care they need. This could be once or twice a month or a few times per calendar year. Our program is continuous from year to year so we pick up in the Fall where we left off in the Summer.
Q: What if our school already has a dental screening, education, fluoride or sealant program? A: Even better! Big Smiles is a great complement to these abbreviated service programs because we will actually fix the problems identified through the other programs. Since data proves that lower income children typically do not receive recommended dental care even when a screening program exists, providing it at school via Big Smiles will yield more meaningful outcomes for your school's overall health grade. After all, there's no sense in taking a child out of class to point out obvious tooth decay when you know the child is not going to get it fixed at a dental office, right?
Q: What if our school already refers students to an off-site dental office? A: Please continue to do so and allow Big Smiles to serve those who do not go. Even if it's just a couple hundred kids across your entire school district we are happy to help if we can.
Q: What if your patient needs work that cannot be done at school? A: We refer out only 9% of patients. The other 91% we are able to fully complete the treatment plan at school. We are very proud of this statistic as it exceeds industry benchmarks. For the 9% requiring outside treatment, we send the parent a referral letter and they would then choose their own provider. If they need assistance locating one, the parent/guardian may call us for assistance and we will help them locate one near their zipcode so they can then try to set an appointment.
Q: What is a dental home and how do you create one? A: The definition varies according to source but most agree it is a concept encompassing comprehensive dental care that is available to a patient on a regular and on-going basis including the administration of specialist referals and affording the parent a culturally sensitive point-of-contact to speak with about their child's oral health whether the question be clinical or administrative in nature. Using the same practice management software as a traditional dental office, we know in advance when one of our patients is due for their 6-month check-up (i.e., recall) or follow-up care to complete a treatment plan we've already identified. Visits are scheduled at schools at intervals to allow children regular access to a provider and we proactively notify parents when their child is due to be seen after the first visit. Our Case Management center is also staffed with bilingual representatives ready to field inquiries from parents and make sure they are answered in a timely manner.
Q: May the parent be present? A: Yes, but it is not required.
Q: What if there is an emergency, even after hours? A: We always have a licensed dentist at all school clinics just in case there should be a situation requiring their specialized attention however the work we do is non-evasive in nature. After hours, a parent can reach us 24x7x365 by toll-free phone and we can connect them to the treating dentist if necessary. This meets or exceeds the options offered by most traditional dental offices.
Q: What do you do for pain management? A: The dentists carry a mild local anesthetic and may use it in cases where a tooth is very sensitive.
Q: Is there a cost? A: There is no cost to the school. Our program is funded primarily through Medicaid reimbursement, grants and sponsorships so care is more easily obtained by low-income families, including the uninsured. We donate a lot of care to the uninsured albeit not on an unlimited basis. We provide all supplies, insurance, consent forms, etc. The school needn't provide any consumable supplies either.
Q: Who are the dentists? A: All dentists are properly licensed and have passed the Medicaid credentialing process. They also undergo a background check, including fingerprinting. Prior to any provider stepping foot into your school, we are happy to provide you with their background check as well as proof of their licensure. Distance to a willing provider is one of the biggest hurdles that low-income families face so it is fortunate that there are dentists willing to do the drive when the patient cannot.
Q: Will this reduce the patient-base of local dentists who are not participating with Big Smiles? A: No, quite the opposite. Children seen through Big Smiles are those we verify do not have a dentist by checking their last date of service with the carrier and making sure there has not been an appointment in the previous 12 months. Children participating in Big Smiles represent an incremental group of patients in your community that will now receive the care they have needed all along. Big Smiles does not increase the number of dentists in an area but we do increase the amount of children receiving care. That means there is now more work to go around per dentist than before. As we all know, the vast majority of low-income children do not go to a dentist and those are the children served by Big Smiles. Other local dentists may see an increase in volume from those patients we refer out whose parents are now more aware of their children's dental needs.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
WE ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS. HERE ARE THE MOST COMMON WE RECEIVE AND PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU HAVE OTHERS.
Q: Which children may participate in the mobile dental program? A: Any child at the school if they do not already have a dentist (we verify last date of service for the prior 12 months). Our typical patient is from a low-income family and has never been to a dentist before. Studies have shown that up to 81% of them do not get adequate dental care.
Q: What is the scope and frequency of service? A: We provide comprehensive care, including follow-up care. Typical services provided are fillings, sealants, exam, cleanings, fluoride treatments, digitial x-rays and others. We also recall children for their regular check-up (typically a 6 month interval).
Q: Which schools may participate and is there a minimum number of students required for Big Smiles to visit our school? A: We work with schools near our local dentists that have a high % of students in the free-reduced lunch program as that is a key indiciator of need. We do not serve schools where the majority of students are likely to already have a provider, as that is not our mission. Because we provide comprehensive care and create a dental home for our patients we need to visit the school at least several times per year. For this reason we prefer a minimum of 50 patients participating at a school so we can return on a regular enough basis to provide patients sufficient access to their dentist. To acheive 50 patients, a school will likely require at least that many consent forms as some children who return them have left the school or we may be unable to reach all the parents via phone to affirm their child's healthy history and participation.
Q: How little work is it for the school? A: The main task is distributing and collecting consent forms. We have identified best practices for doing so and in some areas have a 'Tooth Fairy' that can come out and distribute the forms for you in the classroom. We take care of everything else, including communicating with parents.
Q: Describe the workspace you need on the days you visit? A: We only require about 180 square feet and no sink is needed. We can use virtually any space and can bring privacy screens if necessary. In some limited areas we use a mobile, self-contained operatory that would set up in the school parking lot.
Q: How often will the mobile dental team be at the school? A: It depends on how many children return consent forms. We will come as often as necessary to make sure our patients receive the care they need. This could be once or twice a month or a few times per calendar year. Our program is continuous from year to year so we pick up in the Fall where we left off in the Summer.
Q: What if our school already has a dental screening, education, fluoride or sealant program? A: Even better! Big Smiles is a great complement to these abbreviated service programs because we will actually fix the problems identified through the other programs. Since data proves that lower income children typically do not receive recommended dental care even when a screening program exists, providing it at school via Big Smiles will yield more meaningful outcomes for your school's overall health grade. After all, there's no sense in taking a child out of class to point out obvious tooth decay when you know the child is not going to get it fixed at a dental office, right?
Q: What if our school already refers students to an off-site dental office? A: Please continue to do so and allow Big Smiles to serve those who do not go. Even if it's just a couple hundred kids across your entire school district we are happy to help if we can.
Q: What if your patient needs work that cannot be done at school? A: We refer out only 9% of patients. The other 91% we are able to fully complete the treatment plan at school. We are very proud of this statistic as it exceeds industry benchmarks. For the 9% requiring outside treatment, we send the parent a referral letter and they would then choose their own provider. If they need assistance locating one, the parent/guardian may call us for assistance and we will help them locate one near their zipcode so they can then try to set an appointment.
Q: What is a dental home and how do you create one? A: The definition varies according to source but most agree it is a concept encompassing comprehensive dental care that is available to a patient on a regular and on-going basis including the administration of specialist referals and affording the parent a culturally sensitive point-of-contact to speak with about their child's oral health whether the question be clinical or administrative in nature. Using the same practice management software as a traditional dental office, we know in advance when one of our patients is due for their 6-month check-up (i.e., recall) or follow-up care to complete a treatment plan we've already identified. Visits are scheduled at schools at intervals to allow children regular access to a provider and we proactively notify parents when their child is due to be seen after the first visit. Our Case Management center is also staffed with bilingual representatives ready to field inquiries from parents and make sure they are answered in a timely manner.
Q: May the parent be present? A: Yes, but it is not required.
Q: What if there is an emergency, even after hours? A: We always have a licensed dentist at all school clinics just in case there should be a situation requiring their specialized attention however the work we do is non-evasive in nature. After hours, a parent can reach us 24x7x365 by toll-free phone and we can connect them to the treating dentist if necessary. This meets or exceeds the options offered by most traditional dental offices.
Q: What do you do for pain management? A: The dentists carry a mild local anesthetic and may use it in cases where a tooth is very sensitive.
Q: Is there a cost? A: There is no cost to the school. Our program is funded primarily through Medicaid reimbursement, grants and sponsorships so care is more easily obtained by low-income families, including the uninsured. We donate a lot of care to the uninsured albeit not on an unlimited basis. We provide all supplies, insurance, consent forms, etc. The school needn't provide any consumable supplies either.
Q: Who are the dentists? A: All dentists are properly licensed and have passed the Medicaid credentialing process. They also undergo a background check, including fingerprinting. Prior to any provider stepping foot into your school, we are happy to provide you with their background check as well as proof of their licensure. Distance to a willing provider is one of the biggest hurdles that low-income families face so it is fortunate that there are dentists willing to do the drive when the patient cannot.
Q: Will this reduce the patient-base of local dentists who are not participating with Big Smiles? A: No, quite the opposite. Children seen through Big Smiles are those we verify do not have a dentist by checking their last date of service with the carrier and making sure there has not been an appointment in the previous 12 months. Children participating in Big Smiles represent an incremental group of patients in your community that will now receive the care they have needed all along. Big Smiles does not increase the number of dentists in an area but we do increase the amount of children receiving care. That means there is now more work to go around per dentist than before. As we all know, the vast majority of low-income children do not go to a dentist and those are the children served by Big Smiles. Other local dentists may see an increase in volume from those patients we refer out whose parents are now more aware of their children's dental needs.