School of Dentistry Opens Clinic in Mecca Elementary School Christy K. Robinson   John Ruzzamenti, SD'99, poses with seven year-old Mark Gandam, a patient at the Mecca school.   In just eight weeks, 200 first- through third-grade children in the farm areas of Mecca received dental treatment, some for the first time in their lives. Loma Linda University School of Dentistry has agreed to provide for at least two years, student dentists and hygienists, and their supervising professors, to care for the dental needs of hundreds of school children. A clinic has been constructed in a classroom of the Saul Martinez Elementary School, with five dental units, an X-ray unit, sterilization facilities, and all supplies. "This is the nature of the service learning program," says Fred Kasischke, DMin, assistant dean for admissions, service learning, and spiritual nurture at the School of Dentistry. "Integral to the practice of Christianity is the heartfelt desire to serve," says Dr. Kasischke. "Loma Linda University School of Dentistry is committed to enhancing the health and well-being of people in the community as well as abroad. Our service learning program is designed to facilitate that commitment." Fees for services are paid by Denti-Cal, Healthy Families (a block grant program), and the balance will be covered by Regional Access Project, according to J.B. Jablonski, DDS, assistant professor of dental educational services, and director of service learning clinics. There is no charge to the parents, he says. During the fall quarter 1998, the School of Dentistry committed five students for five days each, for a period of eight weeks. A van left Prince Hall at 6:45 a.m. and returned at 4:30 p.m. Dr. Jablonski projected that Loma Linda University dental students will be serving the clinic for two days each week in 1999. "We're assigned like a block assignment," says John Ruzzamenti, SD'99. "The instruments and equipment are provided. We only provide our own handpieces." John completed treatment on small patient Mark Gandam, who had several fillings, sealant, and prophylaxis. Mark was delighted with the gift of an inflated plastic glove on which John drew a face at the completion of treatment, and gravely stored his merit sticker in his pocket for later display at home, no doubt.   Ron Schoepflin, SD'99, performs a pulpotomy on a small child.   Mecca is a small town at the north end of the Salton Sea, southeast of Indio, about 80 miles from Loma Linda. Just a few miles east, at the edge of the San Andreas Fault, the desert stretches for 2,000 miles. But down in the sea-level valley, farms produce cauliflower, canteloupe, grapes, cabbage, kale, various citrus varieties, and scores of other vegetables and fruits. Farm workers are, for the most part, Spanish-speaking, and live in farm housing or their vehicles. The Saul Martinez Elementary School is located amidst agricultural fields. Children are receiving an education that is surprisingly stable, since the schools are based on the September - May calendar, and farms are fallow during the hottest months. At that time, the families migrate to Salinas and Monterey, where cooler-climate crops prevail. The children seem very much at ease with the student dentists. Most of the children are bilingual, and communicate easily with dentists and visitors. A chalkboard in the classroom clinic contains phrases such as 'levante la lengua' (lift your tongue), 'no me muerdas' (don't bite me), and 'casi listo' (almost done).   Betsy White, Healthy Start coordinator.   Betsy White, B.A., Healthy Start Coordinator for the Coachella Valley Unified School District, says, "Since 1994, our Healthy Start mission has been to improve learning by providing needed health, social service and empowerment programs to our elementary school children and their families. Children learn best when they are healthy and happy." She continues, "We have a commitment for two years from the school district and the School of Dentistry. We'd like to make it permanent. Time will really show what a positive effect it has on the community." According to Ms. White, 600 children attend the Saul Martinez Elementary School, and another 700 attend the nearby grades four-through-six Mecca school, and can be transported to the school-based dental clinic. "We can keep [the dental students] real busy! There's going to be a waiting list." Ms. White and her staff provide chart setup, contact parents for treatment approval, retrieve children from classes and sit with them, provide volunteers to assist the dentists, and translate Spanish to English for some families. Dr. Jablonski says that the children's parents give a medical history of the child, and consent to a treatment plan. A physician screens the children for heart or medical problems that might interfere with dental treatment. And a local dentist accepts referrals from the clinic, gratis, for endodontic treatment.   Saul Martinez Elementary School, where the Healthy Start clinic is located in a classroom, memorializes a California Highway Patrol officer.   Some of the procedures being done are pulpotomies, extractions of permanent molars, and creating crowns, indicative of unhealthy diets and no preventive care, says Dr. Jablonski. "The more time we spend in dental care and dental health education, the more we can prevent dental disease." "We are pleased to cooperate with the Coachella Valley Unified School District and with Healthy Start on behalf of the families at the Saul Martinez School," says Dr. Kasischke. "One of the objectives of the School of Dentistry," says Charles J. Goodacre, SD'71, MSD, dean, "is to demonstrate to dental students the tremendous value of involvement in their community wherever they establish a dental practice. This program, with the help of the school district, Healthy Start, the School of Dentistry, the California Highway Patrol, and the tremendous help of Regional Access Projects, demonstrates well this value of 'service learning' and also clearly exemplifies Healthy Start's motto 'United We Can Do It.'" Christy K. Robinson, LLU A&S '80, is editorial coordinator for the School of Dentistry, and managing editor of DENTISTRY. She is also an editor for the Association of Adventist Women, and contributes to several other publications. DENTISTRY journal fall 1998, winter 1999 University | Medical_Center | LLU&MC_home | Search | Employment | News_&_events | Academics | Our_mission | Admissions | Registration | Research | Alumni | Student_resources All contents copyright © 2001 Loma Linda University. All rights reserved. Revised March 1, 2001 Send comments and questions to webmaster@univ.llu.edu  URL: http://www.llu.edu