April 16, 2007 — Most of the territory’s Head Start children have discovered the joys and benefits of dental care recently, including examinations Monday at Schneider Regional Medical Center.
For young children, the first visit to the dentist can be a good or painful experience, and four residents from New York University’s pediatric dentistry program worked to make it a good one. Program officials hand picked them to participate in this ongoing program, and four of their professors accompanied them during their second visit to the territory.
They are conducting free dental screenings and services to children enrolled in the Department of Human Services' Head Start and Lutheran Social Services' Early Head Start programs. Head Start mandates that all children entering the program receive an oral medical exam within 90 days of enrollment.
The visitors conducted more than 300 screenings on St. Croix last week and expect to complete well over 100 on St. Thomas by the time the program ends Tuesday. Its directors are Dr. Amr Moursi, NYU's chairman of pediatric dentistry, and Dr. Neal Herman.
One of the reasons for the discrepancy is that children on St. Thomas have had access to pediatric dental care and have received ongoing treatment, while St. Croix has no pediatric dentist on island, Herman said.
In addition to NYU, Herman also serves the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families, Region II. A large and jovial man, he stressed the importance of making any child’s visit to the dentist a pleasant experience.
“I would also say it should the same for adults," he said. "One of the first things to know in working with kids is how to communicate. Going to the dentist is so important, it has to be a positive visit and these particular dentists have special skills and abilities in order to work with very young children. You hear it in the constant chatter back and forth.”
Those skills went on display as Dr. Torri Chatman gave 5-year-old Annika Jackson her very first dental examination. “Open your mouth nice and wide," Chatman said. "No, don’t close it yet. Please keep it open. That’s it, Annika, you’re doing great.” It took 15 minutes of cajoling and a little help from her mother, Erica, but Annika got her first dental x-rays.
It was the third visit by 4-year-old Collister Fahie, and he seemed happy and excited to be examined by Dr. Zhemeng Wang. Accompanied by his namesake father, Fahie wanted to play with all the dentistry instruments, some used for the latest techniques. He was all smiles as he walked out of the hospital. Fahie's parents said the program was very helpful and they had nothing but praise for Wang.
The Head Start programs and the V.I. Department of Health “have an agreement with NYU to conduct free examinations, which involves teeth cleaning and fluoride treatment as well as other dental services,” said Shaun Miller, program coordinator for the St. Croix district Head Start program, according to a news release.
That recently signed agreement means NYU has committed to serving 500 patients on semi-annual visits to the territory — every six months for the foreseeable future. Head Start and DOH will provide transportation, housing and facilities. They will also allow licensed NYU personnel to engage in outpatient practice in the territory.
Herman said the arrangement represents real progress from his first visit to the territory in February 2006: “Each visit is better than the last. Over time, because the kids are getting the care they need, things should improve dramatically. Kids with serious dental problems should be fewer and fewer, because they are getting the necessary and preventative treatment. Through our education and prevention processes, we can educate not only the kids and their parents, but (also) staff, teachers (and) medical personnel, right down to prenatal care with ob-gyn people.”
St. Croix has a real need for a pediatric dentist, because young children are not the types of patients who walk in for appointments, Herman said. There are general dentists, but no one who works specifically with the young.
Another New York-based hospital has a grant to establish a residency program in the Caribbean, he said. Discussions are ongoing with Juan F. Luis Hospital, and Herman is hopeful that the grant may lead to a pediatric dentist coming to St. Croix.
Few, if any, dentistry licenses have been issued in the last three years and there are surprisingly few dentists, with only one pediatric dentist in the territory, Herman said. “This agreement should provide some much-needed care from off island, but long term the solution is to have more trained personnel in the territorial medical system,” he said.
The territory needed outside help to meet a financial deadline, said Chris Finch, commissioner of Human Services and former Director of Lutheran Social Services. “Assistance was sought from abroad, since the availability of federal funding limits the time frame in which to have approximately 850 Head Start and Early Head Start children screened," Finch said, according to a news release. "This effort provides a way to have all the children screened and treated at once.”
Approximately 48 children are enrolled in Early Head Start, which provides service solely on St. Croix. Another 800 children are enrolled in Head Start throughout the territory.
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