July 14, 2009

‘Tooth taxi’ brings free dental help to kids

By Sam Craig
The Chronicle

     Winnebagos don’t normally have dental chairs and x-ray machines, but then again, most dental offices aren’t particularly roadworthy.
     For three days this week, an RV complete with all sorts of dental equipment was sitting behind Dry Hollow Elementary and serviced kids with all types of dental needs. In all, 187 kids had their smiles brightened over the course of three days.
     The Tooth Taxi, as it’s called, is plastered all around the outside with the faces of smiling kids with straight, white teeth. Inside the Tooth Taxi, it’s just like a dentist’s office, with all the necessities, two dental chairs, instrument panels, x-rays, developers and a barrage of drill bits, burrs and tips that set your neck hair straight up when they get to spinning.
     The Tooth Taxi has traveled around Oregon for nearly a year, stopping in cities and towns across the state. Oregon has one of the highest rates of tooth decay in the nation, according to the Dental Foundation of Oregon, a partner of the Tooth Taxi, along with the Oregon Dental Association and the OEA Choice Trust.
     “This started in September,” Dr. Mike Murat said. “Since September, it’s done over $800,000 worth of dental work.”
     Taking care of the kids who are about to get free dental work were three dentists. Two of them, Murat and Dr. Andy Olsson, practice in The Dalles and one, Dr Mike Goger, who works in Albany is originally from The Dalles. They’re backed up by a team of professionals. Mary Daly, the program manager, Sarah Raike who’d wrangle up the kids for their appointments, and assistants Hannah Field and James Olcott.
     It’s just a little after one in the afternoon on the Tooth Taxi. They’ve seen numerous kids that day and next up is Marco Orejel, a third grader at Dry Hollow Elementary. He’s cool and calm as Murat helps him into the chair.

     A couple quick x-rays show there’s a little decay and the seat leans back and a rubber nitrous oxide mask goes over Marco’s nose. There’s a TV screen on the ceiling playing Tom and Jerry cartoons he can watch as the nitrous and the Lidocaine start to take effect. After an injection to numb the dental site, they’re ready to get to business.
     Murat takes the water hose and sprays it in Marco’s mouth from about six inches up.
     “You know what that is?,” he asks. “Mulnomah Falls.”
     Marco pushes his tongue against his now-numb gums and cheeks. Olcott finds a small burr bit for the drill and Murat starts gets to work.
     Murat clears out the decay and puts in a sealant. Grabbing a UV light tool, he turns it on to harden the seal. The light gives off an eerie blue light across Marco’s teeth.
     It’s been about 20 minutes and the facemask comes off and Marco takes a bit of time to recover from the nitrous oxide before grabbing a dental health bag filled with a toothbrush, floss and all the other dental necessities.
     They’ve got more kids to see that day, and after having seen 187 of them, they’re getting pretty well known by the kids.
     “It’s a neat program,” said Daly who travels with the Tooth Taxi. “It’s nice to be able to stay some place more than a day. The kids wave to you in the hall and you become more a part of the community.