Dental

• Children (including Head Start) – emergency care, cleanings, fluoride treatment, sealants, restorative (fillings), extractions and x-rays.
• Adults (limited to Medicaid) x-rays, emergency care, extractions, and oral surgery procedures.
• Dental Health Education Activities at various schools.
• Approximately 51,000 services were provided to 12,200 clients in the past year.

Oral Health Promotion

Promoting oral health through public education is an ongoing function of the Escambia County Health Department Dental Program. Dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants and dental health educators provide a variety of oral health information to citizens.

• Tooth brushing
• Flossing
• Oral Cancer Prevention (i.e., smokeless tobacco cessation)
• Oral Injury Prevention - Mouthguards
• Benefits of Fluoride
• Dental Sealants
• Dental Health During Pregnancy
• Care of Dentures
• Tobacco Facts
• Periodontal Disease
• Community Water Fluoridation
• Community water fluoridation is the process of adjusting the fluoride level that occurs naturally in a community's water to the optimal level for preventing tooth decay as proven by hundreds of studies conducted over fifty years throughout the world. Adults as well as children benefit from drinking fluoridated water throughout their lives.

Continued progress has been made in the area of water fluoridation for the State of Florida. Escambia County was the largest area in Florida not to have public water fluoridation. Efforts began in late 1997 to reorganize the fluoridation issue in cooperation with the local dental society and the State Dental Program Office.

In 1998 Escambia County passed a referendum to fluoridate the community water supply joining Milton and NAS Pensacola in providing this significant preventive public health measure. Fluoridation on six (6) wells began in September, 2001.

Our staff consists of 3 dentists (1 part-time) at the main clinic in Pensacola, a part-time OPS dentist, 3 full-time dental assistants, 1 OPS dental assistant, 1 dental assistant supervisor, 1 dental hygienist, 3 front desk personnel and an Administrative Assistant. The Molino clinic is staffed with a full-time dentist, a part-time OPS Dentist, 2 dental assistants, and a clerk specialist.

The Sacred Heart Pediatric Dental Clinic provides services Monday - Friday at the Northside Clinic with a full-time dentist and complete staff.

Healthy Teeth, Happy Kids -- Our Dental Clinic on Wheels
The Escambia County mobile dental unit is a major part of the Integrated Dental Program, an initiative begun by the Escambia County Health Department and the Escarosa Dental Association. This program’s focus is the provision of dental services for patients under 150% of the poverty level who are Medicaid recipients or are not eligible for dental services through other programs.

The Mobile Dental Unit visits elementary and middle schools in Escambia County through the school year. Targeted schools will be those with the highest percent of students on free and reduced lunch programs, as these schools will have the most Medicaid eligible children. Some services will be made available to selected non-Medicaid patients.

The mobile dental unit is staffed by two dental assistants, a dental hygienist, and a dentist. Services offered will be: Radiographs, prophies, fluoride treatments, and sealants. Referrals for definitive treatment will be made to the main ECHD clinic (Fairfield Drive), Northside Clinic (Sacred Heart), Molino or the private sector.