SIOUX CITY (KTIV) – A state program, serving Woodbury and Ida counties, is focused on pediatric dental needs. We take you inside the clinic where experts are standing by, ready to make smiles happen.
“Do you know when Irving is scheduled for,” asked April Yusten Adams, Nursing Clinic and Child, Adolescent Health Project Manager at Siouxland District Health Department.
‘Irving is January,” answered another pediatric dental expert.
A dental team on site ready to help children navigate their dental needs while providing educational tools they can carry throughout life.
“We’re one of the highest needs counties, Woodbury County is, in the whole state. We have one of the highest decay rates,” said Yusten-Adams.
I-Smile Oral Health is a free program that serves qualified children up to age 21 who need dental care.
“It went from about 30% of the kids that we saw last year, were decayed. This year it was 34 (percent.) So, it’s actually going up,” said Yusten-Adams.
April Yusten-Adams is the Nursing Clinic and Child Adolescent Health Project Manager at Siouxland District Health Department in Sioux City. She oversees the I-Smile program. For 11 years she’s worked passionately to serve and help children who need a dental home.
“It’s been shown that dental problems can lead to misdiagnosis, and schoolwork being missed. A lot of kiddos will miss school for dental appointments,” said Yusten-Adams.
Yusten-Adams says through the program children and adolescents can get dental screenings, fluoride varnish to strengthen teeth, dental sealants for cavity protection and a treatment to stop early decay called Silver Diamine Fluoride. These services are provided in house, and they also travel to schools to offer the preventative services on location.
“Portable equipment that we use for I-Smile at school. The chair comes a part into pieces. The whole unit comes a part into different pieces and goes into the briefcase. It all gets loaded up and taken to the school to provide services,” said Yusten-Adams.
The program is state funded though the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services and is steadily growing. Yusten-Adams says so far, 2,495 patients were served for this latest fiscal year. Which was up from 1,803 patients the previous year.
Schedule an appointment and learn more about the program or call 712-224-5424.
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