The Jefferson County Health Department is shifting the direction of its dental program to focus on children. Effective Friday, June 27, the adult Smiles to Go dental van will no longer provide services.
The decision came after the Health Department reassessed how to “best utilize limited resources in light of ongoing challenges with staffing and scheduling,” according to a written statement from the agency.
Melissa Parmeley, clinic services manager for the Health Department, said staffing is half of what it was before the COVID-19 pandemic because it’s difficult to recruit new employees. The department currently employs one dentist, two hygienists, a dental assistant, a supervisor and a billing/front desk associate.
“Operating both pediatric and adult mobile dental programs has proven unsustainable,” the Health Department said. “Expanded dental care access is now available through Compass Health and other providers throughout the county, helping to fill the gap in adult services.”
The Senior Smiles To Go van will remain open for cleanings, fillings, extractions, emergency appointments and denture adjustments for existing patients through Thursday, June 26. The department has not accepted any new adult patients since 2023, Parmeley said.
“This is the best way to keep meeting community needs while using our resources wisely,” said Executive Director Steve Sikes. “By focusing on what we do best and working with other providers, we can ensure everyone gets the care they need without overlapping services.”
He said the agency’s new focus on children will allow the Health Department to build stronger partnerships with school districts, extend services to new educational settings and support preventive oral health care for children throughout Jefferson County.
Parmeley said the youth program could expand to summer school programs and early childhood centers, as well as summer events.
In 2024, the dental program served 617 patients, including 409 youth and 208 adults. The Health Department did not immediately have the number of patients who have received dental services so far this year, the Health Department reported.
Dental vans
Parmeley indicated that the Health Department plans to sell the adult van and put the funding back into the dental program.
The Smiles to Go Youth Dental Van started in 2005 with grant funding from the Missouri Foundation for Health. Additional funding from the Jefferson Foundation in 2014 provided the current upgraded 40-foot RV. The Health Department accepts Medicaid, private insurance, self-pay and provides grant funding for those who get services through the dental van and cannot afford other options.
The youth dental van provides services to patients up to 19 years old. It’s a school-based program that visits more than 30 locations each year.
Originally just for senior citizens, the Smiles To Go dental van for adults got its start in 2016 with grant funding from the Jefferson Foundation. It’s a 45-foot mobile unit, and the driver must have a CDL license, Parmeley said.
She said the adult van originally was designed to travel to senior living facilities, but most of those visits ended after COVID hit. For the past couple of years, the van primarily has been stationed behind the Health Department’s Arnold office, offering services there.
Parmeley said in 2018, the staffing model for the dental program was much different. The van had its own dedicated staff of five. As staff left, the department could no longer find replacements.
She said since 2020, the dental team has tried to balance the needs of both vans by seeing adults on specific days of the week and during the summer months.
Adult dental care still available in area
The written statement said current or past Senior Smiles to Go program patients may request their dental records at jeffcohealth.org/dental or by calling 636-797-3737. Inquiries from current, past or future patients will be referred to the following providers: Compass Health Network: 844-853-8937; A.T. Still University-Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health: 866-626-2878; Affinia Healthcare: 314-814-8700; Elks Mobile Dental Program: 573-690-6003; or STL Emergency Dental: 314-200-3880.
Sue Curfman, senior vice president of regional corporate services, said Compass Health has seen the need for dental services for Jefferson County patients with low-incomes or no insurance and significantly expanded access to comprehensive dental care within the past two years.
She said Compass Health now offers 49 dental chairs across several offices in Jefferson County: Valley Clinic in House Springs, Hickory Ridge in Hillsboro, Jeffco Boulevard in Arnold, a school-based dental clinic at the Fox C-6 Service Center in Arnold and Truman Center in Festus. In addition, a mobile dental RV provides care in some school districts and residential care settings.
Curfman said services are offered on a sliding fee scale based on a patient’s income so people who cannot afford private dental care can still receive the treatment they need.