Congratulations to Zavala Elementary School
The School Personnel Incentive Winner for the
2006-07 school year!
The Parent Support Specialist from Zavala Elementary went above and beyond to assist our efforts at their school. For their support, we are extremely grateful.
The goal of St. David's Dental Program is to eliminate the barriers of economics, language, and transportation for the disadvantaged to access dental care. St. David’s Dental Program partners with most Title I schools to provide free dental care to children from pre-kindergarten through elementary school.
Our mobile dental clinics park at a school site, allowing patients easy access to free dental treatment. With this treatment method, thousands of children can receive care and avoid severe dental problems that could otherwise cause them to miss school.
Currently, the mobile clinics visit schools in the Austin Independent School District, Del Valle Independent School District, and Hays Consolidated Independent School District. The program will expand into Williamson County.
Please click on a question below to learn more about the dental program. If you have a question that is not answered here, please contact us.
1. Can you come to my school? The St. David's Dental Program visits most Title I schools in Austin, Del Valle, and Hays Consolidated Independent School Districts from August through May. Health Services Directors from each district work with the dental program to identify the elementary schools that the dental program will visit. Please click here to see the list of schools currently scheduled for the 2007-08 school year.
In case of a dental emergency for any child, a school nurse may contact us to set an emergency appointment on the mobile dental clinic. back to top
2. When are you coming to my school?
Please click here to see a list of schools currently scheduled for the 2007-08 school year. The dental program treats all children at one school before moving on to the next, so it is difficult to predict the exact date we will be visiting a specific school. The schools are listed in the approximate order of the planned clinic visits. The list indicates which schools have already been served. back to top
3. How does a visit from the dental program work?
Several weeks before the clinic: Dental Program staff conducts a site visit and gather student information.
Three weeks before: Dental Program staff visit a faculty/teacher meeting to explain the program. Staff dentist and an assistant visit the school to conduct a screening, where the dentist visually examines each child. If the dentist determines that a child has visible decay and is a candidate for treatment on the mobile clinic, the child will receive a treatment consent form for the parent to sign and return.
Two weeks before: Dental Program staff collects signed consent forms.
During clinic: Students are treated between 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Dental Program staff will come to each classroom to escort children with signed consent forms to and from the mobile clinic.
After clinic: Dental Program staff provides the school with documentation of the patients treated and deliver gift certificates to teachers with 100 percent consent form return rates.
Patients with severe decay may need more than one appointment. Emergency appointments are scheduled between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. back to top
4. How can I get my students to return their consent forms?
Teachers have had great success by offering students various classroom incentives. Additionally, our program staff can assist teachers in phoning parents, if necessary. back to top
5. Where can I get a replacement consent form?
Please click here to access the dental forms page. The consent forms are available in English or Spanish. back to top
6. Do you offer any oral health education?
Our program offers dental health education to the schools and partner agencies we serve. The school-aged presentation focuses on fostering an understanding about the importance of healthy teeth and highlighting positive dental health practices by using interactive demonstrations, experiments, and games.
Parent presentations serve to educate, inform, and remind parents about proper dental hygiene instruction and appropriate nutrition for themselves and their families. Bilingual dental health materials, publications, and dental products are distributed at the end of each presentation.
7. What do I do if a student has a dental emergency?
A school nurse, parent support specialist, or other school staff can refer a student to the St. David’s Dental Program. When a child walks into the school nurse or staff office and reports a dental problem, the need can be categorized as follows:
Rountine dental care needed: If dental decay (at least one cavity) is discovered in a child’s mouth, the nurse may send a note home with the child to inform the parents that the child needs dental care.
Severe dental need: When the nurse has determined that a child has an emergency due to severe dental pain or very large cavities, then the nurse needs to contact the parent to determine if the child has a dentist or other means for care. If no means for dental care exist, the school nurse (with the parent’s permission) can contact St. David’s Dental Program to set up an emergency appointment with the mobile dental clinic.
Some specific problems that may need professional dental attention:
For dental emergencies after school hours or when you cannot reach the St. David’s Dental Program, please advise students and/or parents to go to the nearest medical emergency clinic or hospital.
The St. David's Dental Program visits most Title I schools in Austin, Del Valle, and Hays Consolidated Independent School Districts from August through May. Health Services Directors from each district work with the dental program to identify the elementary schools that the dental program will visit. Please 
The school-aged presentation focuses on fostering an understanding about the importance of healthy teeth and highlighting positive dental health practices by using interactive demonstrations, experiments, and games. 
