School Board OKs Dental Care Program for City Schools This Fall

On the heels of a  this spring, Peabody’s Ellen Gould is now rolling out her preventative dental care program to the city's schools.

“To be able in Peabody to deliver care is really important to me,” says Gould, a dental hygienist, pointing out that regular care prevents gum disease and other problems later on.

The program is operated by Polished LLC, which Gould runs, and provides twice yearly cleanings (September and March), exams, referrals and other basic dental health services free-of-charge to students who don’t have other regular dental care. The non-profit group of dental hygienists and dentists will be serving Peabody students in pre-kindergarten through middle school, starting in September.

The program, closely monitored by the Mass. Department of Public Health, stretches from Provincetown now all the way to Peabody, although most school districts the group works in is on the South Shore.

Gould and her team of specialists set up shop in each school on scheduled days and spend 15-20 minutes on each young patient. The size of the staff depends on the space available in each school and how many students need services – Gould says five clinicians could serve 100 students a day – but the maximum at any site would be nine (including assistants, hygienists, runners and a dentist if needed).

Gould received the blessing of the Peabody School Committee Tuesday night, after explaining how the program works and addressing a number of initial concerns from committee members.

“It would be a travesty if we didn't support it,” said committee member Beverley Griffin Dunne. “There are so many people – so many children – who need this.”

The rest of her colleagues agreed the need was there, but still the vote wasn’t unanimous, with only Jarrod Hochman opposing the plan.

Hochman said that while he admired the work Gould and her group were doing, he didn't believe the city's schools should be seeking funding for it or otherwise involved in helping run the program.

“While a great cause...I’m a believer in small government, not big government,” Hochman said, adding that he viewed the initiative as the district securing funds and free office space for a business to operate.

Mayor Michael Bonfanti, who chairs the School Committee and is wholeheartedly behind the program, disagreed with Hochman, saying the city should be involved in these types of initiatives when it comes to children’s health.

“I do have a conservative streak too, but where kids’ health is concerned, I go the other way,” Bonfanti said.

He argued that feeding and providing health care to students now would aid those residents in becoming productive members of society, rather than adding to the burden on social services in the future. He added that under the latest census figures, 7 percent of the city's population is below the poverty line and struggles now just to put food on the table, let alone afford dental care.

“I think we have an obligation to [meet] this type of need for our students,” Bonfanti said.

He added that he’d also like to see local dentists take the cue from this effort and similarly provide free services for students in need. Hochman said he would gladly back the mayor’s efforts on that front.

Interim Superintendent Herbert Levine also strongly supported the initiative, noting Bonfanti and Public Health Director Sharon Cameron spoke to him about integrating the program in the city’s schools soon after he was hired.

“It’s pretty hard to teach kids math when they have a toothache,” Levine pointed out, adding that a dentist would also make regular visits in-school for students in need of significant dental care.

He also suggested the committee adopt the program for just one year and then review it thoroughly with school principals before committing further.

Levine noted that the principals were excited for the program and would work out ways to incorporate time for services into the already short school day.

Gould said she works closely with each school to find the most convenient times for students and to limit their time out of class as much as possible.

Most of the cost for services is billed directly to insurance providers and Polished LLC doesn’t seek to collect co-pays from patients, Gould said, but in the cases where students have no insurance, her organization still provides care and is looking for other sources of funding.

She said the group recently received its non-profit status and would be looking into various grants.

, through a local charitable fund, has offered a small grant in the amount of $2,000 for the program. Cameron and Gould said that would cover supplies for about 100 uninsured children.

Gould won’t know the exact numbers of uninsured or insured students in the system until parental consent forms are returned after school starts on Aug. 29. She said she would be meeting with school nurses on Wednesday to discuss logistics.

Gould said it’s usual for 30 to 40 percent of the student population to be uninsured for dental care. She said $25 per student is the average cost to cover supplies and staff services for two visits a year.

She also assured the committee the district would assume no liability under the program – Polished LLC bears all responsibility for its services.

Gould does plan to continue the program started with the congregation at – the six-month checkup hasn’t happened yet.

“Before we take a vote, would anyone like a piece of candy?” Bonfanti asked, drawing laughs as he held up a small dish full of sweets.