The Gateway to Oral Health Foundation celebrated its move from one downtown location to another with an open house on September 16. At the event, it received its largest donation in a decade to help meet the vital dental health needs of St. Louis area children. Delta Dental of Missouri donated $132,617 to the foundation’s mobile dental program.
The mobile units provide comprehensive dental treatment for children in need, regardless of their families’ ability to pay. The foundation has two mobile dental vans, portable equipment and dentistry teams to treat children at schools in 12 districts in St. Louis, as well as at daycare centers and preschools.
Delta Dental of Missouri’s charitable giving committee member and chief sales and marketing officer, Ed Pattarozzi, presented the grant check to Gateway to Oral Health Foundation President and CEO Byron Duvall, DDS at its recently completed offices at 2211 Olive St.
“With Delta Dental of Missouri’s generous gift, we’re thrilled to be able to install a wheelchair lift in one of our two dental vans, so we can expand our care to children of all ability levels,” said DuVall, co-founder of the non-profit that was started in 1996.
“The funds will also allow us to upgrade our x-ray sensors and dental software to facilitate treatment for the kids, as well as improve measurement of outcomes achieved for our patients.”
DuVall anticipates seeing a 15 percent increase in the number of patients treated each year, after van modification and digital upgrades funded by Delta Dental. In 2016, Gateway to Oral Health treated 10,301 children at daycare centers and at 162 area schools.
He said Ollie Fisher, DDS, director of quality control at the foundation, approached Delta Dental about the helping them meet the dental needs of children on a daily basis. Delta Dental of Missouri holds a Give Kids A Smile free dental care event during two-day dental clinics twice a year.
“He emphasized to them their dollars could reach more children if they were to give some assistance to a program like Gateway because we are there daily as opposed to twice a year,” DuVall said. “We’re hoping that it’s an ongoing relationship.”
“We share mutual goals with the foundation – to improve oral health and to bring dental care to those who need it the most,” Pattarozzi said. “We’re so glad to know that our contribution will help expand the reach of the foundation to touch even more lives in the communities we’re both privileged to serve.”
Gateway’s mobile dental teams provide preventive and restorative treatment, including exams, x-rays, cleanings, fluoride applications, sealants, fillings, extractions, root canals and stainless steel crowns. If a child has dental pain or a tooth injury, the team will provide an emergency appointment within 24 hours.
“Thousands of children in the metro area don’t have access to proper dental care, and many live with constant tooth pain,” said Ollie Fisher, DDS, director of quality control at the Foundation. “Delta Dental’s grant gives us the resources to provide this critical care to many more at-risk kids to improve the quality of their lives, their self-esteem and their ability to concentrate, so they can thrive in school.”
In addition to providing dental care for area children during the school year, the Gateway to Oral Health Foundation teams will be able to give treatment to senior individuals at nursing homes during the summer months, following the installation of the dental van wheelchair lift.
“We did that this past summer and we are going to expand that program as well.” DuVall added.
To learn more about the Gateway to Oral Health Foundation, call 314-872-3930, email gtohfoundation@sbcglobal.net or visit www.gtohfoundation.org.
