SSTC Connects Local Families to Free Dental Services
Smart Start of Transylvania County (SSTC) sponsored a dental bus event on May 9 & 10, providing free teeth cleanings, fillings, and extractions to local children under 6 and their household members. This event was designed and implemented in alignment with SSTC’s mission to prioritize the overall well-being of all children and improve health outcomes for families in Transylvania County. Over the event weekend, a total of 42 people received free dental services.
SSTC facilitated this event in partnership with Baptists on Mission and First Baptist Church Brevard. Baptists on Mission provided a dental bus, which families boarded to receive services, and First Baptist Church Brevard offered their building for registration, teeth cleanings, and on-site child care. The event was organized by SSTC’s Community and Family Programs Manager, Chelsea Stewart, who recognized a pressing need for access to dental healthcare among many of the parents and children within our local care networks.
Dental care providers from Water Oak Dental, Hendersonville Family Dentistry, Transylvania County Health Department, Laurel Park Dentistry, and Appalachian Family Dentistry volunteered their time to help families in need in our community. Additionally, volunteer translators from El Centro were present for the duration of both days to ensure that Spanish-speaking families could have their health concerns properly communicated and addressed. These collaborative efforts were a living embodiment of the “it takes a village” approach to caring for children and it was heartwarming to see so many community members rally together to support families in need.
One local father whose son was seen by dental professionals shared his gratitude, stating, “I just wanted to thank you for getting (my son) onto the dental bus. He said ‘I’ll actually smile and show my teeth now,’ and he said, ‘Do you know how weird it is to not feel the jagged edge of my tooth anymore?’ We are so thankful.”
Providing services not only to children but to their parents, siblings, and any other eligible members of their household was integral to upholding SSTC’s organizational mission to uplift and support every member in a child’s circle of care. When caregivers are able to address their children’s most basic needs, as well as their own, they are enabled to nurture and care for their children to their greatest potential, so it was essential to extend dental health services to adult family members as well.
A mother of a young child who received a filling for her own painful cavity shared, “For the first time in months today, I used the right side of my mouth to chew and perhaps even more importantly was able to mentally check off a task that felt impossible to get done. The weight of that being gone is such a relief.” She shared her appreciation for SSTC’s Community and Family Programs Manager for leading the event, adding, “Chelsea, thank you for taking care of us moms (and other caregivers). You are such a treasure. It’s an incredible gift to be seen and advocated for.”
SSTC believes in taking a holistic approach to addressing health care needs in our community, and we intend to continue prioritizing initiatives that focus on the well-being of all family members, to create happier, healthier households.
