The Return of the Tooth Taxi

The Tooth Taxi is returning to VES the week of November 17th through November 21st. The Tooth Taxi is a mobile dental van sponsored by The Dental Foundation of Oregon.  The Tooth Taxi is staffed by dental professionals and offers a range of dental services including cleanings, fillings, extractions, and oral health education for free. Last year, The Tooth Taxi provided $46,000 worth of dental care to our students at no cost to families.

This is a great opportunity for children to receive dental care that their families may not have the ability to pay for. The Tooth Taxi is a state of the art RV that really is a dentist’s office on wheels. It’s also a very kid friendly environment complete with televisions on the ceiling for children to watch during their treatments. In addition to serving students who need dental services, The Tooth Taxi staff will also make presentations in the classrooms on oral health.

Dental health staff from Community Health Centers of Lane County will be at Veneta Elementary on October 27th to provide a dental screening for our school. The dental screening will be quick and noninvasive- they will use flashlights to examine children’s mouths and note any concerns. Results will be shared with parents. If there are concerns, parents will be given the opportunity to take advantage of The Tooth Taxi program. Parents can opt out of the dental screening by sending a written signed note to the school office asking that their child be excluded from the dental screening on October 27th.

Informational flyers about both The Tooth Taxi program and the dental screenings will be coming home this week. Please be on the look out for updates and more information. Questions about the program are also welcomed. If you would like an application packet for the Tooth Taxi, please come by the school or call and we will send it home with your child.