Learn About the Smile Squad
The Smile Squad Program, established in 1988 as the School Smiles Program, serves children in Polk and several surrounding counties. The first Smile Squad Mobile Dental Clinic, a two-chair, fully-equipped, mobile RV, began offering services in 2003. This program provides onsite dental care at area schools and day cares, with potential to serve additional areas or populations in need! As the first mobile dental clinic program of its kind in Iowa, the Smile Squad Mobile Dental Clinic provides urgent dental services to children who do not have access to treatment. In 2008, a second Mobile Unit was added to the squad!
If you’re interested in learning more about how the Smile Squad could be a part of your school or organization, fill out the contact form on out “Contact Us” tab, and we’ll contact you shortly!
Untreated cavities can cause pain and infections that may lead to problems with eating, speaking, playing, and learning. Children who have poor oral health often miss more school and receive lower grades than children who don’t.
The Smile Squad Program provides on-site based oral health projects:
- Little Healthy Smiles provides oral health education, screenings, referrals for treatment, and fluoride varnish to children in Head Start and preschool programs.
- Healthy Smiles and the Dental Sealant Project provide oral health education, screenings, treatment referrals, and dental sealants in schools each year.
- Smile Squad Mobile Dental Clinic provides dental treatment services in a custom-built, two-chair, mobile dental RV.
Testimonials
School Nurse Testimonials:
“I can’t begin to explain how fortunate our community is to have Dental Connections as a healthcare resource. Our students, many of whom wouldn’t otherwise have such accessible dental care, get professional, compassionate and thorough care right here at school during their annual “smile squad” program. This program keeps students in school and relieves the burden that school day appointments can have on hardworking families. When care can’t be provided in their state of the art mobile unit they will actually provide transportation to an offsite clinic during the school day.
Not only that, they go out of their way to make dental healthcare something that’s accessible to every student, regardless of their insurance, financial or transportation situations. I have reached out when we’ve had students in need of dental care at other times in the year. I have found that Dental Connections will work to swiftly provide care and resources, no matter the circumstance, when there is a child in need.”
-Margaret, M., Willard Elementary Nurse
School Nurse Testimonials:
“Dental health is so important for the health and well-being of the children. The Smile Squad provides the opportunity for our students to receive full dental services right here at school. It’s such a wonderful service for some of our families!”
– Kayla Pettigrew, Perkins Elementary Nurse