SMILEmobiles

For more than 50 years, Eastman Dental's SMILEmobiles have  been providing dental treatment to children and adults who wouldn't receive care otherwise. Call 585-275-5007 for information.
 

"If it weren't for the Eastman SMILEmobile, a lot of our kids would get no dental care at all. You can't learn if your mouth is hurting, or if even if you don't feel good about yourself.  Kids that go to the SMILEmobile are better prepared. It's really been a great service for our school." --Darlene Pelow-Sullivan, former Social Worker at School No. 2

Did You Know?

• Tooth decay impacts academic performance, a leading cause of absenteeism. Children nationwide miss almost 52 million school hours each year because of dental problem.
• Tooth decay is the single most preventable chronic childhood disease.
• Oral health is a major health problem for children living in communities of poverty.
• The American Dental Association estimates that about one third of people in the U.S. won't see a dentist this year due to a variety of barriers to care.
  
  Today, the SMILEmobile program serves underinsured and uninsured children in 15 city schools and three Head Start programs. By visiting schools directly, the SMILEmobiles eliminate the need for parents to miss work to take their child to a dental visit, and allows students to miss as little of the school day as possible. The SMILEmobiles have had a significant impact on preventing tooth decay on the some 39,000 children it has served.

Schools where the SMILEmobile goes have reported an increased school performance among its students.
 

One of our SMILEmobiles travels to area nursing homes, refugee centers, college campuses, high schools, group homes, and other places to provide much needed access for oral health care. This unit features a wheelchair lift, wider doors, and an air glide chair that allows more maneuverability for the wheelchair-bound patient to enter the unit. (Interested in having it visit? Call 585-275-5007)

The SMILEmobiles are one of the sites that are training pediatric and general dentists, hygienists and dental assistants in treating patients with special and complex needs, as part of a $3.5 million U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant awarded in 2015.

What People are Saying

"Every dentist I called on my insurance-approved list refused to take Rebekah on as a patient or help her," explained Barbara Burdette, Rebekah's mother. "Finally, the last doctor's office I called realized I was desperate to help my daughter and suggested I call Eastman Dental, who quickly got her the help she needed. They have helped relieve my frustrations from a dental perspective because I know Rebekah has access to care," The hygienist and staff are patient, respectful and wiling to answer all her questions. As a family, we are forever grateful for Eastman Dental for the wonderful care they have given Rebekah."

"Providing dental services in a state-of-the-art mobile office for extensive care as well as for dental hygiene is a tremendous advantage for older adults," said Kathy  Grimes, LNHA, administrator for The Living Center at Highlands at Pittsford. "For some residents, a trip to an outside dental office can be long, uncomfortable and anxiety provoking. It is exciting for us to offer resident centered dental care through this great innovation from Eastman Dental."

“We’re thrilled to welcome the SMILEmobile to provide oral health care where students can take advantage of the convenience for routine dental visits or emergency concerns to relieve any dental pain, which likely interferes with their studies,” said Megan Jaros, manager of case management for RIT Wellness.

"If it weren't for the Eastman SMILEmobile, a lot of our kids would get no dental care at all," Darlene Pelow-Sullivan, former Social Worker at School No. 2, Rochester. "They would be suffering from abscesses, decay, you can't learn if your mouth is hurting, or if even if you don't feel good about yourself.  Kids that go to the SMILEmobile are better prepared, they definitely have much better oral hygiene. It's really been a great service for our school. "

History

1967 - Eastman Dental established the first SMILEmobile in New York State.

1990/2000 - Two more SMILEmobiles were purchased, thanks to support from the Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation and Ronald McDonald and other local charitable organizations.

The Lobozzo Family Advised Fund of the United Way of Greater Rochester donated the major funding to build the unit. Joseph M. Lobozzo II, local businessman and founder of JML Optical, said he and his family are excited about reaching hundreds of Rochester area residents whose oral health care needs often go unmet because of various challenges, including lack of transportation and few providers who are able to treat patients confined to wheelchair.

"This SMILEmobile gives immediate access to a myriad of agencies, group homes, and special needs enters," Lobozzo said. "Such accessibility has never been offered in Rochester and is rare in other communities."

For more information, please call 585-275-5007.