Children’s dental prevention clinic to open in Las Vegas
LIBERTY Dental Plan of Nevada announced Thursday that it will launch a children’s dental prevention clinic in January with the UNLV School of Dental Medicine.
The clinic will provide free services to Clark County school-aged children — from about 5 to 12 years old — who need dental care.
It is aimed at filling a gap by providing sealants and other dental services typically offered to children on Clark County School District campuses, which have been operating under 100 percent distance education since mid-March because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Through this clinic, we hope that it allows more children to have access to care,” said Amy Tongsiri, Nevada dental director for the LIBERTY Dental Plan of Nevada.
The clinic — which is taking phone calls from families to set up appointments and will open to its first patients on Jan. 4 — will be housed at UNLV’s existing pediatric dental facilities at 1001 Shadow Lane in central Las Vegas.
LIBERTY Dental Plan of Nevada, which administers Medicaid dental benefits in Clark and Washoe counties, has committed more than $250,000 in first-year funding for the new clinic.
Victoria Sullivan, an associate professor for the UNLV School of Dental Medicine, will be the director of the clinic. Board-certified pediatric dentists will oversee the clinic and UNLV School of Dental Medicine students will deliver the care to children.
Many people don’t realize it, but dental disease is a major issue facing school-aged children, Sullivan said. When a child’s mouth hurts, it makes it difficult to eat, sleep, think and learn, she added.
The clinic will screen children to assess the current state of their dental health, Sullivan said, and will offer services such as bitewing radiographs, fluoride varnish and sealants.
The hope is to “rehome” children with a regular dentist in order to continue their care, she said.
Contact Julie Wootton-Greener at jgreener@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2921. Follow @julieswootton on Twitter.
