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About the Orthodontia Program
PROVIDENCE GORGE SERVICE AREA
Orthodontic Assistance Program
The Process
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Teachers and Counselors at
Parkdale Elementary, Westside Elementary, May Street Elementary, Mid
Valley Elementary, Cascade Locks School, Hood River Middle School,
Wy’East Middle School and Hood
River Valley High School identify
children with orthodontic needs that are affecting school performance.
Examples include children with painful physical conditions as well as
children whose malformed teeth make them reluctant to speak in front of
the class or who are ridiculed by other children because of the
appearance of their teeth.
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The principal or counselor in charge
of the program then prioritizes the children according to need.
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Children must qualify for free or
reduced lunch under federal poverty guidelines in order to participate
in the program.
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Applications are forwarded from the
school to the hospital.
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The Hospital determines how many
children can be funded and allocates some to each of the two
participating orthodontic practices: Gorge Orthodontics and Bruce
Burton, DDS.
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Letters are sent to the parents or
guardians of each child participating in the program, instructing them
to make an appointment with the orthodontist for a consultation.
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The orthodontist decides if the child
needs any preparatory dental work prior to receiving braces or if the
child is not ready for braces.
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Whenever possible, pre-work is done at
LaClinica on a sliding scale basis and paid for by the parents or Oregon
Health Plan. When that is not possible, other dentists and oral
surgeons provide care at a reduced fee (typically a 30% discount).
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The orthodontists charge between $3000
and $3500 for a full set of top and bottom braces versus the normal
charge of approximately $4800.
Program Statistics
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35 children started the program in
2004-2005.
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In 2006, 34 children began the
program.
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There are 28 children on a waiting
list, and should receive assistance in 2007.
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Breakdown by School: (includes
students on waiting list)
Cascade
Locks School = 5 Mid Valley Elementary = 5
Coe Primary
School = 1 Parkdale Elementary = 5
Hood River
Middle School = 28 Pine Grove Elementary = 2
Horizon =
1 Westside Elementary =
3
HRVHS =
20 Wy’East Middle School =
24
May Street
Elementary = 3
Participating Providers
Gorge
Orthodontics, Drs. Bickler & West (Primary provider)
Bruce
Burton, DDS (Primary provider)
La Clinica
Del Carino Dental Services
Dennis
Marshall, DMD
Mark
Crompton DDS
Jack
Clifton, DDS
Henry
Windell, DMD (infrequently)
Northwest Maxillofacial Surgeons, Portland
Northwest Oral Surgeons, The Dalles
The
Dental/Orthodontia Program, which has been funded through grants in the past,
still has over 20 kids on a waiting list. Proceeds from Hood River Valley
Playhouse’s production of “The Sound of Music” will be directed toward getting
those kids off the waiting list and into braces. Thanks for helping make their
future bright and shiny. Below is just one child's personal story...
“I’m Getting Braces!”
The soft-spoken neighbor girl with the warm brown eyes came up to Pat Carter,
awash in excitement. “Oh, Pat, guess what?” Elena Gomez exclaimed. “I’m getting
braces!” Since that moment, says Pat, Access Services manager at Providence Hood
River Memorial Hospital, she has seen Elena transformed from a hesitant girl who
hid a mouthful of crooked teeth behind her hand into “this vibrant, can-do
person.”
Elena, 13, cradles a soccer ball outside Hood River Middle School
and flashes the tinted braces she got last year. “I couldn’t really smile when,
like, someone would tell me to smile, because I was really embarrassed by the
way my teeth looked,” she recalls. Her proud new smile comes courtesy of
Providence Hood River’s Dental/Orthodontic Assistance Program, which works with
the school district and dental practitioners to provide treatment for children
whose families cannot afford it.
Smart in school, Elena has set some earnest goals for herself,
including playing soccer in college and becoming a PE teacher.
There are many more stories just like this one. With the proceeds from the
Hood River Valley
Playhouse
we can help these kids reach their goal with self confidence and a beautiful
smile! Please consider being a part of this wonderful program.
Thank you!
The Co- Founders of
Hood River
Valley Playhouse
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