ToothsaversofWashington.com

About Us

We Want to Help!

Toothaches keep children in pain and prevent them from learning and attending school. These kinds of problems are preventable and we can help! School based sealant programs, like Toothsavers, are proven to be very effective in reducing dental emergencies in children and increasing their oral health.

What We Do

Toothsavers provides preventative oral health care services to children including: oral health screenings, sealants, fluoride application, and oral health education, all within WA state schools, during school hours. We provide services to Title I schools & schools with a free and reduced lunch rate of 50% or greater. All services are provided by a gentle and experienced Registered Dental Hygienist.

We Bill State Insurance/Medicaid

We are a school based program that focuses on creating affordable access to oral health care for children, at parents convenience. We bill to Apple Health for Kids/ Medicaid and we offer very reduced, affordable cash fees so that every child can receive the care they need.

How It Works

Scheduling

If your child's qualifying school has scheduled Toothsavers to be on site and provide services, parent consents and information will be sent home about 2 weeks prior to that date.
Parents will return signed consent back to school with their child.

Treatment Day

The day of, each child enrolled will be called from class to the health room for approximately 10-30 minutes to receive treatment.

An oral assessment will be performed to check for possible cavities, general oral health condition, and teeth that need sealants placed.
Sealants are placed in teeth, as needed.
Fluoride is applied to all teeth.
Oral health education including, brushing, flossing, and nutritional counseling is reviewed with child.

*We try very hard to only perform NON OVERLAP services meaning; we try to only perform services that will not overlap with your insurance coverage at your dental office. Our services do not take the place of dental office visits. Your child should be visiting a dentist office for 6 month cleanings and treatment as necessary on a regular basis.

What Comes Home?

Each child will come home with:

A full report on assessment findings and treatment completed.
A toothbrush, flosser, and prize
Referrals to local dentists for further treatment and cleanings, as needed.

Our Services

Sealants

Sealants are a safe, thin, clear, plastic type material that is placed into the deep grooves of the back teeth. Sealants create a shield over the tooth, which prevents bacteria from causing cavities. Each sealant takes approximately 1-3 minutes to place and is completely painless.

Oral Health Education

Efficient preventative and home care is key to having a healthy smile. Our experienced hygienist will review proper brushing and flossing techniques with each child, as well as nutritional advice.

Fluoride Varnish

Fluoride varnish is a mineral coating brushed onto the teeth to protect against cavities and make teeth stronger. Fluoride application only takes about 1-2 minutes and has been proven safe and effective. Children do not have to wait to eat or drink after varnish is applied.

Benefits of School Based Sealant/Fluoride Programs

Decreased missed class time. Depending on a child’s’ needs, it may take 10-30 minutes for the first visit.
Studies prove that a child who is at high risk for cavities will decrease their risk when fluoride is applied often.
Studies prove sealant and fluoride school based programs to be effective in increasing good oral health among children.
We bill state insurance/Medicaid
We encourage a healthy environment. Talking about oral health is important for children to understand.
Parents take less time off of work. We make preventative oral health accessible, caring for your child in the comfort of their school.
We make it easy for families to have a positive dental experience.
We increase access to healthy mouths and decrease cavities!
Each child receives a toothbrush, instructions to maintain a healthy mouth, floss, and treatment referral form.
We see every child, regardless of their ability to pay. All we need is a consent form, filled out, signed and returned.
We work closely with local dentists to provide referrals if families do not have one already.

FAQ for Parents

What if my family cannot afford Toothsavers' services?

Your child may qualify for free or reduced cost health/dental insurance through Apple Health of Washington (1-855- 923-4633) You may pay only what you can afford, even a minimum payment helps keep our programs going. We will not turn away a child if unable to pay.

My child already receives fluoride at the dentist office, should they have it done with you also?

Yes! In Spokane County, we are considered at higher risk for dental cavities because we do not have adequate amounts of fluoride in the water systems. Children are also considered at higher risk for cavities if they have a history of them. High cavity risk children should have 2-4 fluoride varnish applications in a year. Depending on the age, Medicaid pays for 2-3 fluoride varnish applications for each provider with a maximum of 9 fluorides a year so, they can be done both at your dental office and with Toothsavers.

What if my child has special needs or is fearful?

Our staff has training with working with special needs patients and fearful patients. We will not force the children to do anything they are not comfortable with. We will stop at any time during a procedure if the child wants to stop.

What are your reduced cost fees if I do not have insurance?

Our low cost uninsured fees are as follows:

Visual Oral Assessment=$10

Fluoride Varnish Application=$12

Sealants (per tooth)= $20

Our mission is to be able to keep these programs going in order to provide care to all students in need. We are happy to help set up payment plans if needed. We will not turn your child away if unable to pay.

FAQ for Schools or Facilities

How can we schedule you to come to our school or facility?

Please contact the website email at info@toothsaversofwashington.com or call Amber Juliano RDH, BS at (509) 676-6060

How often will you come?

Most schools are scheduled twice a year (6months apart) . A few outer area schools are scheduled only one time in the Winter quarter.

What is the cost for us?

There is no cost for the school

How much space do you need?

We need about 12 by 12 room with electrical outlets.

What will you need from us?

We need a contact person for us at the school who can help set up the scheduled visit and reserve a room for us. This person will also help to get our consents to the teachers (generally, we will print and deliver the consents to you).

Toothsavers of Washington

2018-2019 Toothsavers School Calendar

No upcoming events.