JCCC Oral Health on Wheels
| The Oral Health on Wheels (OHOW) is a mobile dental clinic serving underserved |
| populations in Johnson County, Kansas. The program was formally launched in the spring of |
| 2008 under the auspices of the Dental Hygiene Program at Johnson County Community |
| College (JCCC). |
| |
| OHOW is a 10-foot by 40-foot diesel truck loaded with a refrigerator, microwave, radio, |
| sterilization unit, two treatment rooms, patient waiting area and wheelchair lift. The unit is |
| staffed at all times by a board certified dentist, a professor of dental hygiene and two senior |
| level dental hygiene students who have met proficiency requirements. The dentist and dental |
| hygiene professor supervise students as they clean, polish, examine, X-ray and interact with |
| special needs patients during a three-week clinical rotation. |
| |
| In 2006, the Delta Dental of Kansas Foundation provided a $75,000 grant towards the purchase |
| of the Oral Health on Wheels vehicle. |
| |
| The JCCC Oral Health on Wheels program is addressing a significant, long-standing service |
| access issue for individuals with developmental disabilities. Overwhelming research-based |
| consensus shows that people with developmental disabilities have much higher rates of poor |
| oral hygiene and care than the general population. |
| |
| The OHOW clinic takes oral hygiene services directly to places where large numbers of |
| underserved and special needs clients are located. All services available through OHOW |
| are provided at no charge to the client. Never has access to dental hygiene services been |
| more convenient! |
| |