Vista Community Clinic has announced that it has been selected as one of only 10 organizations nationwide to receive a $125,000 grant to promote dental health.
The clinic received the funding as part of the Community and Care Transformation program at the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, based in Boston.
The grant will support VCC’s mission to improve access to dental care, with a focus on pediatric patients and a goal making it easier for children and families in San Diego County to obtain proper dental care.
In addition, dental intervention during childhood has been shown to prevent many of the serious dental problems found later in adults, making this program that much more important to the long-term health of county residents, VCC said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 20% of kids between the ages of 5 and 11 have at least one untreated decayed tooth, while 13% of 12- to 19-year-olds have untreated cavities.
VCC said the grant will help increase annual dental visits and the quality of life for children across the county.
The program will be based at VCC: Vale Terrace, which offers dental and pediatric services to more than 10,000 children. This proximity, officials said, will allow the clinic to better coordinate care between doctors and dentists.
The program also will introduce an integration coordinator, a new position made possible by the grant, to establish a bridge connecting pediatric patients and their parents with dental care.
Responsibilities include facilitating handoffs between departments, reminding parents of the importance of oral health and identifying new patients in need.
