Accessing preventative dental care services in rural northern Nevada is challenging for many residents of Lake Tahoe’s north shore. There are no providers that accept Medicaid for dental services within a 25-mile radius of Incline Village and only one dental office in Incline Village that accepts private insurance for payment. Families that are uninsured or need to seek low cost dental care must drive between 25-40 miles to see a provider.
We are proud to announce that Incline Village Community Hospital Foundation has been awarded a grant to expand its “Healthy Teeth” program, which is an oral health education and fluoride varnishing service for local children at Incline Elementary School. Oral health is vital for one’s overall health. With support from this generous grant, IVCHF will be increasing its role in ensuring that the youth in our community have access to no cost dental screenings and basic preventative care services, as well as understand the importance of oral hygiene.
Twice during each school year IVCHF partners with the Truckee Meadows Community College Dental Hygiene Program to provide dental screenings and fluoride varnish applications to all children who have opted-in to the program. In October 2018 this service was provided to 180 elementary school students and 320 students received oral hygiene education lessons. Over the next three years, IVCHF will receive $180,000 in funding to expand the Healthy Teeth program by including Incline Middle School students and adding the service of applying dental sealants. The grant will also provide for restorative care for children from economically disadvantaged homes.