Mobile dental clinic relaunches with new name, same mission

Pitt County dental caregivers have a new tool in their belt to brighten smiles and fight juvenile tooth decay after a “floss cutting” ceremony on Monday.

Leaders gathered at the Pitt County Health Department to celebrate county’s mobile dental unit, a replacement for the old Smile Safari trailer that has been offline after years of service.

The rebranded Public Health Dental Services Mobile Unit is a 53 foot trailer that can be transported to schools to provide screenings and services to students at 18 K-8 and elementary schools.

Heidi Shelton, Pitt County Dental Services Program coordinator, said that the Smile Safari served the community well since 2001 but that it needed “significant” repairs after its years of travel and use.

The new trailer features an updated, more efficient floor plan and a panoramic X-ray machine for diagnostic purposes, two examination rooms complete with a chair and dental tools. All the equipment and accommodations are state of the art.

“Our mission remains the same,” Shelton said. “We are very excited to begin seeing patients in our new unit.”

According to Pitt County Health Director Wes Gray, 60 percent of kindergarten students in a 2022-23 sample screening had never had a cavity or filling. Fewer than 2 percent had a sealant and at least one permanent molar and 1 percent needed immediate, urgent dental care due to infection or another issue at the time of screening.

However, Gray said that 21 percent had untreated tooth decay and 23 percent had previously treated decay.

“A little over 40 percent of kids by kindergarten are at that point where they need treatment for advanced decay,” Gray said.

“With this unit, and by getting kids on track for regular preventive dental care, we can improve these numbers in Pitt County and make a big difference in quality of life for these kids later on,” he said.

Pitt County is one of 42 in the state with a dental program, Gray said.

The mobile unit will be stationed at the Pitt County Health Department, 201 Government Circle, in the summer, according to Shelton.