Angels Camp, CA…After 23 years providing preventive dental services and oral health education to children of Calaveras County, the Calaveras Children’s Dental Project is coming to an end. “For a variety of reasons, now is a good time to stop,” stated Laurie Perry, RDH, RDHAP Dental Hygienist who has managed the project since its inception in 1997. “I am very proud of the services this program has provided over the past 23 years to the children in our county.”

Due to the Covid-19 situation, the program was forced to end abruptly. “Unfortunately, I did not have an opportunity to personally thank everyone who has been involved in the Calaveras Children’s Dental Project. I especially want to thank all the school campus’ teachers and staff that functioned as liaisons between the program and the parents, and assisted with scheduling” said Perry. 

Dental services provided have included dental screenings, cleanings, fluoride applications, and dental sealants at no charge to students. Additionally, the program partnered with various mobile dental organizations to provide restorative dental services. Laurie estimates that over 24,000 children have benefited from the Calaveras Children’s Dental Project over the years.

The Calaveras Children’s Dental Project functioned under the Calaveras County Office of Education and was largely funded by grants and donations. While there have been several foundations providing grants throughout the years, most recently the program was funded by First 5 Calaveras, whose mission is to facilitate partnerships and fund strategies that strengthen families and support them in raising healthy children age 0-5; and Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, who partners with local communities to increase access to care, support dental education and fund research that advances the oral health field.

“I’ll miss this program tremendously. It was so fulfilling to be able to serve my community and help the children in this vast county. Being able to provide preventative dental services, in addition to helping children access the dental care they need, is extremely important. It’s difficult for children to focus on school when they have dental problems affecting their health,” explained Perry.

Teri Lane, Executive Director for First 5 Calaveras expressed her gratitude. “First 5 would like to thank and recognize Laurie Perry for her hard work and years of dedication to the Children’s Dental Project,” said Lane. She continued to explain that “currently First 5 continues to support children’s oral health by providing dental assistance funds for 0-5 aged children and we are collaborating with public health to provide dental health education to early education centers.”

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