Skippy Dental

Skippy Dental Comes to You

We know that it is difficult for parents and guardians to arrange dental care for their children. Whether it’s a lack of insurance, transportation, the cost of dental care itself, or that you are unable to take the time off of work, Skippy Dental is designed to reduce the burden associated with your child’s oral healthcare.

Our mobile Skippy dental clinics bring the dental clinic to the child!

Upcoming Skippy Clinics

Telluride Intermediate, Middle and High School
Thursday March 7th – Friday March 8th  – Thursday March 14 – Friday March 15 – Thursday March 21 – Friday March 22

Telluride Elementary School
Thursday March 28 – Friday March 29 – Thursday April 4 – Friday April 5th

Ridgway Elementary School
Thursday April 25 – Friday April 26

Telluride Mtn School
Thursday May 2 – Friday May 3
(we may change these dates for these schools below -slightly -due to hygienist availability)

Nucla/Naturita
Wednesday May 8 – Thursday May 9

Ouray Schools
Friday May 10 – Thursday May 16

Ridgway HS
Friday May 17th

Services include:

  • Comprehensive Dental Exam
  • X-Rays
  • Fluoride treatment
  • Protective Sealants
  • Cleaning
  • Free toothbrush, toothpaste and floss
  • Education to your children about how to brush and floss
  • Primary Restorative care: Fillings, Interim Temporary Restorations (ITR) and Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF), when necessary
  • Health insurance enrollment assistance

Enroll today!

Participating schools will notify parents when Skippy is coming to you. Fill out a consent form and TCHNetwork will take care of the rest. If you have any questions, please email skippy@tchnetwork.org.

Click here to complete a Skippy Consent Form and enroll your child.

Haga clic aquí para el formulario de consentimiento de Skippy.

What to Expect

Clinic day

A Skippy Navigator escorts each child from their classroom to the clinic room and in about 30 minutes your child will be back in class having received all the appropriate dental services.

During COVID, Skippy may utilize community spaces in place of schools. In this case, we will arrange an appointment for you to bring your child in.

Following up

Your child will come home with a Skippy Dental bag containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss and a form letting you know the outcome of their exam.

If we identify any issues, our team will call the parent/guardian if further treatment is necessary. Options for additional care include Skippy Dental Restorative Days at school or referral to a local dentist. We are happy to help you navigate this process.

If your child needs to be referred to an outside provider, please complete the medical release form here.

Insurance

Skippy is designed to provide services free of cost whether or not you have dental insurance.

Privacy Policy

Information collected in this program will be kept private unless required by law or to bill your insurance and will be shared only within the Skippy program.

If your child does not have health insurance, TCHNetwork will contact you to discuss potential health
insurance options.

Participation is voluntary; this consent is valid for the entire school year, both fall and spring
semesters, unless revoked by a parent or guardian.

Interim Therapeutic Restoration Treatment

Interim Therapeutic Restoration (ITR) is a temporary filling that will stabilize teeth that have decay
until there is further evaluation or treatment by a dentist. An ITR can prevent more decay or slow down tooth decay.

Summary of ITR Placement

  • Tooth will be thoroughly cleaned
  • Some decay may be left in the tooth
  • A filling will be placed in the tooth
  • This procedure is generally comfortable and pain-free
  • No local anesthetic is necessary

There is a small possibility of feeling pain in the tooth after the procedure, but this should be
temporary

Silver Diamine Fluoride Treatment

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is a safe, non-invasive, FDA-approved liquid that helps stop tooth
decay. SDF treatment is recommended by our partner dentist and applied by a dentist or dental
hygienist. The benefits of receiving SDF are that it stops disease quickly, the teeth do not require numbing, and it causes no pain with the application.

Summary of SDF Application

  • A small amount of SDF is applied to the tooth area with decay.
  • After it is applied the patient should not eat or drink for 60 minutes.
  • The decayed area will stain black permanently, but a healthy tooth structure will not stain.

Risks of Receiving SDF

  • The decayed area will permanently stain black
  • Tooth-colored fillings and crowns may become discolored if SDF is applied to them
  • A filling or crown may still be needed after the application of SDF
  • If SDF is accidentally applied to the skin or gums a brown or white stain may appear that causes no harm. It cannot be washed off but will disappear in one to three weeks
  • The patient should not be treated with SDF if:
    • The patient is allergic to silver
    • The patient has painful sores or raw areas on the gum or anywhere in the mouth

Alternatives to SDF

  • Forgo any treatment, which may lead to continued decay and breakdown of decayed tooth
  • Placement of fillings or crowns, extractions, or referral to a specialist

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