Raising the Momentum through Continuity of Care:

Finding Dental Homes for America’s Children

July 22-23, 2010
American Dental Association Headquarters

Presentation Title:
Dental Health Solutions for Children: Creating and sustaining a
dental safety net for school-aged children.

Presentation Summary:
Thanks to the Dental Solutions for Children Program, Salem-Keizer
School District’s 40,000 students never miss class due to dental pain!

Learn about the Dental Health Solutions for Children Program and how
to develop and maintain a dental health safety-net for children in your
community. The Dental Solutions for Children Program was created
and launched ten years ago in the Salem-Keizer (Oregon) community
to protect children from experiencing the painful effects of dental
disease. Embedded in the school district, this Program provides:
• Dental health education for students and parents,
• School-based dental screenings and prevention services, and
• Access to treatment for low-income, uninsured students.

Coordination is essential to program sustainability. Program

coordination involves developing and building a network of
participating dentists and agencies, managing the referral process,
promoting program awareness and visibility, collecting program data,
and resource development.

Brief Speaker Biographies:

Jessica Minahan, BS – Biology. A co-founder of the Dental Solutions for
Children Program, Jessica has been the Dental Health Coordinator for
the Salem-Keizer School District for over five years. She maintains a
large and active network of dental care providers and program
participants, chairs the steering committee, schedules community and
school-based dental education, dental disease prevention and access-
to-care programs, tracks treatment referrals, and raises funds through
donations, grants and Program publicity.

Catherine Pederson, BA – Sociology. A co-founder of Dental Solutions

for Children and a former registered nurse, Catherine has been a
community volunteer and activist for needs of the elderly and children
for 30 years. She worked as a Protective Services Case Manager for
persons 65 and older while assisting her husband in the management
of his oral surgery practice. With Stand for Children founder Jonah
Edelman, she researched dental access disparities and through focus
groups and face-to-face conversations with area dentists formed the
‘Neighborhood Dentist’ network in 1998. Catherine continues to serve
on the Dental Solutions for Children steering committee.