Dental event planned at NB library

NORTH BALTIMORE — A trip to the North Baltimore Public Library will serve double duty Jan. 13 and 14. Not only will younger visitors find all types of books to read, they can also be registered for dental services, thanks to the Wood County Community Health Center. "This will be our first dental event in North Baltimore, but also the first one that we're doing in a library," said Lindsey Ruivivar, chief executive officer of the health center. The North Baltimore visit is targeting youth up to age 14, she said. Services are available to all individuals regardless of their county of residence. Appointments — available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days — are required and now open. Ruivivar said this event aims to bring dental services closer to home for individuals who live in the North Baltimore-area. "We have patients who already drive from North Baltimore and Findlay to Bowling Green, where the health center is located," she said. "Hopefully this will be a lot more convenient for us to come out and do some services in North Baltimore." The health center offers primary care services, including medical, dental, behavioral health, psychiatry and pharmacy. "And our providers, they all work well together so we do an integrated care model," she said. "We'll refer patients between those service lines. Somebody comes in for dental. We're still going to offer behavioral health screenings. We can connect them to a behavioral health provider. We even take a blood pressure reading in dental and then might hand someone off to medical." "So it's really a whole person care focus," she noted. "And I always like to say, all health begins with oral health." The exams in North Baltimore will include an x-ray, cleaning, fluoride and sealants. Ruivivar said these sealants can help prevent cavities, while a silver diamine fluoride treatment is available for youth ages 0-14. "It's like a gel that you can put on the tooth, and it's great to help prevent further decay of the tooth," she explained. According to Ruivivar, the mobile visits are actually based on feedback from school nurses. "School nurses frequently refer students and their families here to our health center. If they have a student who's in oral pain, we will work them in," she said. "We have really high demand for our services here, a lot of people trying to get in for those dental appointments. But we do try to prioritize. If it is a child in pain, we will do whatever we need to do to work them into the schedule." Transportation can also be a factor for some students who are not receiving dental care, she said. One answer they came up with was obtaining portable dental equipment at the beginning of 2025. "With the purchase, we could start to take our services out into the schools," she said. The mobile team includes a dentist, dental hygienist and dental assistants who are able to do a full scope of services. And depending on a patient's needs, they may be referred back to the health center if more intensive services are required. The team can usually see two patients at a time — one of whom is in the dentist's chair and the other one in the hygienist's chair. "Our dental team, they're really, really great about working with kids. They see all ages, but they do see a lot of kids. And they're very, very comfortable working with those younger patients, making them comfortable to come and see the dentist," Ruivivar said. The health center accepts most dental insurance plans, including Medicaid insurance. A sliding fee discount is available to help with out-of-pocket costs and for those who do not have dental insurance. "Most private dentists do not take Medicaid insurance, and so we truly are a safety net here," Ruivivar said. A special dental story time will take place Jan. 13, starting at 11 a.m. In addition to reading several books about teeth, the community is invited to meet the Tooth Fairy and enjoy free giveaways. The Wood County Health Department's Women, Infants and Children Program will also be on-hand to provide nutrition education and program eligibility information. An afterschool story time will be held that afternoon at 3 p.m. "With parents or grandparents coming, we want to use that as an opportunity to educate the whole family about oral health and the importance of getting in for dental visits, and to help to make sure that everyone in the family is getting access to good oral health care," Ruivivar said. To schedule dental appointments for the library visit in North Baltimore, call the health center at 419-354-9049. A consent form must be completed by each patient's parent or guardian. Consent forms are available at the North Baltimore library, 230 N. Main St. The health center is located inside the Wood County Health Department building, 1840 E. Gypsy Lane Road, Bowling Green.