Local dentists and hygienists are volunteering their professional services teaching the children hygiene education and prevention education.

The Harriet H. Samuelsson Foundation continues to provide necessary supplies and a dental assistant/office manager to assist the volunteer staff as they perform their services for the children at the dental clinic.

 

Dental & Vision Program

Local dentists and hygienists volunteer their professional services at the Juvenile Justice Center.  

From its inception the dental program at the Juvenile Justice Center was intended to be about much more than providing needed dental care for young people. The concept was that spending an hour or two with a volunteer dentist or hygienist might help them better understand that there are people who care about what happens to them when they are released and that they in fact do matter. 

Funding provided by VCMRF by the Harriet H. Samuelsson Foundation helped transform a small area in the Juvenile Justice Center into a fully-equipped operating facility to provide dental care, oral health education, and treatment to incarcerated youth. The psychological benefits result in increased self esteem and confidence and more positive self-presentation, which will help them secure employment, social interaction, and other endeavors.

These short, one-on-one encounters help these kids, who face tremendous odds, to break the cycle and avoid being part of the terribly high percentage of juveniles who are incarcerated over and over.

An example is Ramon, a 17 year old, who was approaching the end of his sentence at the Juvenile Justice Center, when he requested an appointment in the dental clinic. Ramon was in excellent oral health – beautiful hygiene and without any cavities, but at the age of twelve all of his upper permanent front teeth had been lost-knocked out in an accident. Ramon has lived for many years without any kind of replacement.

The volunteer dentist took the necessary impressions to make a partial bridge, called a “flipper,” for Ramon.  He was released early for good behavior before the flipper could be made and given to him to wear home, so arrangements were made for him to receive his new smile in a private dental office, all thanks to some generous people.  Ramon was a very appreciative young man, happy to face the world once again, with more self-confidence as he began to look for work and re-enter school.