This summer, Inter-Lakes Community Action Partnership (ICAP) hosted Delta Dental’s mobile dental truck in Flandreau from July 22-26, providing essential dental care to children in need. During the weeklong visit, a total of 44 children received comprehensive dental services valued at $34,193.
The mobile dental truck delivered a wide range of treatments, including exams, cleanings, fluoride varnish applications, sealants, and cavity fillings.
The statistics from the visit underscore the critical need for such services: among the 44 children served, thirteen were seeing a dentist for the first time in their lives. The practitioners treated 59 teeth with decay, ensuring these young patients could enjoy healthier smiles and improved oral health.
Forty-five percent of the patients had no insurance and 27% of the patients were aged 5 or younger. Additionally, 50% of the patients were between the ages of six and twelve.
The mobile dental truck’s presence in Flandreau provided these children with access to vital dental care that might otherwise have been unattainable.
The visit was made possible through the collaboration of ICAP, Interlakes Area United Way (IAUW), and Delta Dental of South Dakota.
“Oral health is a crucial aspect of a child’s overall well-being,” said IAUW President Lori Gustaf. “By supporting this program, we are working towards our mission of fostering positive change and promoting good health in our community.”
IAUW continues its commitment to improving access to dental care and has sponsored a dental truck visit to Flandreau every summer since 2019.
