What We Do
The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile® of Northern Ohio is a 42-foot-long, 32,000 pound mobile dental clinic uniquely equipped to care for underserved children’s immediate dental needs through the collaboration of the Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Northeastern Ohio (RMHC-NEO®) and the Irving and Jeanne Tapper Pediatric Dental Center at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital.
Equipped with dental chairs and state-of-the-art equipment, the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile program is expected to serve approximately 1,000 eligible 3-6 year-old children annually during its start-up years, throughout northern Ohio. By 2013, the program is expected to be functioning at full capacity, treating approximately 6,000 children each year, many of whom will get their first glimpse of a dentist's chair through this new program.
Exam, Preventative Care, Treatment Options, and/or Follow-Up Services include:
- Emergency palliative treatment - including temporary restorations
- Extractions - not requiring specialty intervention
- Complete oral examinations and radiographs
- Filling cavities
- Placing crowns
- Providing pulp therapy
- Application of bacteria-killing fluoride varnish (reduces decay by 40% if applied every 6 months)
- Routine restorative services – for primary and permanent teeth in children
- Dental preventive education
- Provide parents/guardians important information – connect families to primary care dentists, provide assistance to enroll in appropriate insurance programs and provide follow-up care information
The Program’s Objectives:
Objective 1: Reduce barriers to care
- Help families secure primary care dentists and help them establish medical/dental insurance plans
- Provide resources for children who need emergency oral health treatments
- Increase the number of sites that will provide Oral health services and reduce geographical barriers
- Educate children and their families on the importance of proper oral hygiene
Objective 2: Improve the dental health of underserved children
- Decrease the number of children who may become affected by a serious illness brought on by tooth disease
- Reduce the number of children who are sent to the operating room each year for dental treatment
- Provide preventive care to reduce the number of children with early childhood caries
Objective 3: Assure the sustainability of the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile
- The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile is financially sustained
- Treat 6,000 children annually by the year 2013