This taxi really has the drill down

Kindergartner Austen Zemmer of Baker City was one of the patients treated inside the "Tooth Taxi" last week.

By LISA BRITTON

Baker City Herald

This dentist knows a thing or two about kids and teeth, and he’s pretty passionate about both — especially preventing tooth decay.

“It’s pure education. Tooth decay’s a disease — it’s preventable,” says Dr. Weston W. Heringer Jr.

Heringer began practicing dentistry in 1971, and he’s been a pediatric dentist since 1977.

And now he spends his days in a 38-foot Winnebago motor home equipped with state-of-the-art dental tools.

Welcome to the Tooth Taxi, a mobile dental office sponsored by the Dental Foundation of Oregon, ODS Companies and OEA Choice Trust.

The exterior is plastered with photos of smiling children and these messages: “Improving oral health for Oregon’s children,” “This van runs on smile power,” and “Smile on, Oregon!”

The Tooth Taxi mission is to treat as many “uninsured and underserved” children as possible in Oregon communities with limited access to dental care. Most school districts it visits have a relatively high percentage of children who qualify for free or reduced-priced meals.

This is its second year in operation. In 2008, the Tooth Taxi served more than 4,000 children and provided more than $1 million worth of free dental care.

The Tooth Taxi travels with a staff of four: Heringer, program manager Mary Daly, assistant James Olcott and certified dental assistant Michelle Kline.

During a typical four-day visit, the staff provide screenings, cleanings, sealants, X-rays, flouride treatment, fillings and minor oral surgery.

The Tooth Taxi spent last week at Halfway, and this week was parked in the playground at Brooklyn Primary to serve students in the Baker School District.

In addition to staff, this dental office also depends on volunteers, and this week brought two dentists from La Grande — Dr. Eli Mayes and Dr. Patrick Nearing — and students from the ODS hygiene school in La Grande.

The crew screened Baker kids last Thursday with a quick exam that gave each case a number from 0 (no decay) to 4 (abscessed teeth or other severe problems). The ranks of 3 and 4 are top priority.

The dentists see about eight patients a day, while the hygienists schedule about one child per hour to clean teeth.

Tuesday morning, 5-year-old Austen Zemmer settled into Heringer’s dental chair. After X-rays and an exam, the dentist set to work filling two cavities and extracting an abscessed tooth.

When finished, Heringer printed the X-ray so Zemmer’s parents could see the work, and included a chart detailing what the work would have cost.

For this patient: $450.

“It shows them the value of the service,” Heringer said.

The staff and volunteers give lessons on oral hygiene at every chance, and Heringer is eager to share a few guidelines:

• Children should see a dentist within six months after getting their first tooth.

“A lot of kids have tooth decay by the time they’re 2 or 3,” he said.

• No more than 4 ounces of juice a day

• No bottle at night

• Adults need to assist with brushing until children are 8

“They’re not thorough enough, they don’t pay attention,” he said.

For teenagers, he said the biggest problem is soda pop.

“Pop is just murder on kids’ teeth.”

His advice: Drink more water and give your teeth a really good cleaning at least once every 24 hours.

“The only way to get them really clean is to brush and floss,” he said.

At the other end of the Tooth Taxi Dr. Eli Mayes welcomes his patient, a girl who’d never been to the dentist before. In five minutes she went from apprehensive to smiling and eager to open her mouth wide for Mayes to start work.

“It’s a whole different style with children — it’s all about communication,” Mayes said.

He said it’s important to teach children good oral care when they’re young.

“Working with the kids, that’s where it starts, that’s where the need is,” he said.

For more about the Tooth Taxi, visit the Web site www.smileonoregon.org.