Caledonia Argus

Dentists, students volunteer to serve those in need; clinics part of innovative program

Posted: 11/4/03

By David Heiller
Argus News Editor

Houston Countyís Department of Public Health is in the second year of an innovative dental program that serves children from birth to age 21.

The community dental clinic began in September 2002 with a grant from the Minnesota Department of Health Dental Innovations Pool.

It offers both clinics, where dental work is done, and educational programs in schools.

The clinics are held one Saturday a month at different locations in Houston County. For example, they will be at the Houston Dental Clinic in Houston on November 15.

They serve children ages 0-21, for things like preventative work (cleanings, fluoride, sealants, exams), and a full range of restorative work (fillings, crowns, extractions, etc.).

ìWe do the whole works,î coordinator Darla Zahn said. ìThis issue is one that separates us from a lot of other community dental programs out there.î

Anyone that would like more information about the clinic or educational program can call Darla Zahn at 507-725-5810.

The service is for people who donít have insurance or canít afford dental care.

Three local dentists volunteer their time: Dr. John Evanson at Houston Dental Clinic, Dr. Stacy Johanson at Family Dental Center in Caledonia, and Dr. Michael Flynn in Lewiston.

Three clinics are used: Herman and Frisch Dental Clinic in Caledonia; Houston Dental Clinic in Houston; and the Lewiston Dental Clinic. They are reimbursed for the use of their equipment and supplies.

The clinics benefit everyone: patients get free dental care, and the dental and hygienists students and residents get hands-on experience.

Dr. Johanson thinks the program is working well. ìI think itís a really valuable, wonderful thing.î

Itís great for the dental and hygiene students, who get a feel for a real-life clinic. Johanson also likes the fact that it helps medical assistance people who are underserved in the dental community. Itís hard for dentists with private practices to serve people on medical assistance because it pays only 30 cents on the dollar, Johanson said. The Houston County clinics fill that gap.

ìWeíve helped out a lot of kids, a lot of kids in pain,î Johanson said.

Education is an important part of the clinical visit too, Johanson said. ìA diet analysis is real important. Some people donít realize that giving a child a bottle with juice in it is really not the thing to do.î

She said the organizers are trying to increase access for adults too, but that isnít easy because their dental problems are more complex, and require multiple visits.

Unpaid U of M faculty members

The local dentists are adjunct faculty members of the University of Minnesota, but they are not paid for their work. Their job is to supervise the students, Dr. Flynn said.

ìA lot of my job is not to teach them technique but to keep them on schedule,î he said.

Clinics are busy, with all the rooms offering care at once. They can treat 45-55 people a day. A typical clinic might have 12-15 professionals working, some sterilizing, some working the front desk, and some working one-on-one with the doctor. There are usually two to four dental graduate students or fourth year dental students that provide the work.

ìMost of the time we probably donít leave the office until 6 oíclock, because we donít leave the office until everyone is taken care of,î Flynn said. ìWe keep them really busy.î

The quality of the care is excellent, Flynn said, the same as if you walked into his clinic in Lewiston. A lot of the emphasis is preventative, he added.

ìI think that everyone has a good attitude and good feeling about it. Weíre trying to share in a need.î

Itís a fulfilling job, he said, and everyone seems to have a good time.

ìAnd I think everyone of those students goes back to the U and says, ëHey you should have been there. You canít believe what we got done.íî

Flynn thinks the program is working, and that itís cost effective. He figures they give a dollar of service for every dollar that is used from the grant.

ìItís really a community effort. Thatís what Iíd like to emphasize,î Flynn said. ìCommunities need to be able to take care of their communities.î

He likes the spirit of cooperation too. For example, he was at a convention in San Francisco on October 25, so Dr. Johanson from Caledonia filled in for him at Lewiston. ìNot too many places are able to share their facilities that readily,î Flynn said. ìThese are private practices yet they are opening up their practices for care. They donít have to do that. Itís just something they do for the community.î

ìDarla andÝthe Houston County Public Health have done a great job in putting this together,î he added.

Local schools benefit too

The program has a strong partnerships with the public health agencies in Fillmore and Winona Counties, Zahn said.

She refers patients to other clinics, and also works with Southeastern Minnesota Community Action Council to find Head Start children who need dental screenings, which are a requirement before they can join that program.

ìA smaller portion goes to oral health programming at local schools,î Zahn said. ìI currently do that programming in all three counties.î

She visited Caledonia High School on October 28 for a session with middle school students in their ìBeyond the Bellî program.

Her easy going manner and sense of humor came out strong.

ìMrs. Knutson didnít bring her orange pop with her tonight,î Zahn said when supervisor Kristi Kahn walked into the room.

ìI stopped drinking it,î Knutson responded. ìYou made me feel so guilty last year.î

That might have had something to do with Zahnís experiment in which vinegar eats the shell off an egg. Thatís similar to what pop does to teeth.

ìFor each sip of pop you take, you create an acid bath in your mouth for 20 minutes,î Zahn told the students. You can get around that by rinsing your mouth or drinking through a straw.

She is hoping the program will continue with another grant. Competition will be stiff. But now that we are currently enrolled in that program, we can apply for a renewal,ì she said. She will do that by next summer.

ìWith all of the budget cuts that came down from Governor Pawlenty, we were very pleased that our dental program was not affected,î she said.

Zahn, who had worked at Gunderson Lutheran Hospital in their Department of Dental Specialists for 11 years, enjoys her job, which began in April 2002 to fulfill the objectives of an original $60,000 grant. She had been accepted to dental school, but finds this new job to be an interesting one.

She likes working with the University of Minnesota and its dental students and residents. ìWe are very lucky to have them volunteering at our clinics, considering that they donít get credit for their work.î

She also gets to work with the dentists who volunteer, and she appreciates their efforts immensely.

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