Alba Cruz, PhD, MPH¹, Carlos Joo, DDS², Dexter Haywood, DMD³, Toni K. Williams¹, Rainelle White¹, Sandra Allonen, MED, RD, LDN¹, Caroline Figueroa¹, and Jason D. Copeland¹. (1) The Family Van Program, Harvard Medical School, 1542 Tremont Street, Roxbury, MA 02120, 617-442-3200, alba_cruz@hms.harvard.edu, (2) Whittier Street Health Center, 1125 Tremont Street, Roxbury, MA 02120, (3) Mattapan Community Health Center, 1425 Blue Hill Avenue, Mattapan, MA 02126

Access to appropriate oral health care has become a luxury in this country among low income populations. Although dental disease among children has declined in Massachusetts it remains a significant problem among minorities living in poverty, and is often the root cause of more serious health problems as children grow. A study of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ low income communities, including Boston, found that 38-48% of children screened needed restorative dental care, with 9-14% requiring immediate referral for treatment. A recent screening of approximately 300 elementary school students conducted by the Mattapan Community Health Center located in the Boston neighborhood of Mattapan found that 90% of the children screened had not obtained sealants, one of the most cost-effective dental procedures available. The Family Van Program of Harvard Medical School, a community-based mobile health services model of care with over a decade of experience, in collaboration with two community health centers, The Mattapan Community Health Center and the Whittier Street Health Center, have developed a unique partnership, “The Saving Smiles Program,” that addresses gaps in oral health services available to Boston’s most vulnerable populations. This presentation describes how the program addresses lack of appropriate oral health care by providing oral health maintenance education and oral health nutrition counseling. The program’s ability to provide case management to ensure access to and continuity of care through the affiliated community health centers, along with its success in serving as a resource for community members to improve their oral health, will be highlighted.

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