Sarah Bush Lincoln gets $105K for new tele-dentistry program

MATTOON, Ill. (WCIA) — Sarah Bush Lincoln in Mattoon is all smiles after they received a more than $100,000 grant towards their Dental Program.

The money will be used to expand its tele-dentistry program for at-risk children.

“We are so thankful for these grant dollars that will help our dental team reach more children with crucial dental care,” said SBL Healthy Communities Director Laura Bollan. “We appreciate the work of U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) for believing in our work and funding it.”

Each year, the SBL Dental Program provides care to 3,300 children within their 10-county service area. They have an established dental clinic in Mattoon and are sometimes offered clinic space through a team of volunteer dentists. They also have a mobile program that travels to 61 schools.

With the newly-received $105,000, the Dental Program can now utilize tele-dentistry on their mobile dental bus. Tele-dentistry allows certified Public Health Dental Hygienists (PHDH) to screen a patient’s oral cavity, take X-rays and intraoral pictures, and virtually send them to their primary dentist for examination. Two SBL dental hygienists are now trained in this through the Effingham Public Health Department.

The tele-dentistry program is an especially helpful service in rural areas and school-based settings, where patients don’t always have quick access to dental clinics. The mobile bus will now include a portable X-ray equipment, as well as software and connectivity to the dental electronic medical record.

“This grant can change the oral health of many children in our service area whose preventive care is restricted by transportation issues. Our team is very grateful for the funds,” Bollan said.

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