Oregon Public Broadcasting

A huge colorful van with smiling kids painted on it will tour Oregon in the next few months. The 38-foot vehicle is called “Tooth Taxi” and provides dental care for uninsured and underinsured school children.

The Dental Foundation of Oregon has invested about half a million dollars in the Tooth Taxi. It has two treatment areas with state-of-the-art equipment.

A full-time pediatric dentist and volunteers will be able to do everything from screening and cleaning to taking x-rays and performing minor oral surgery.

Mary Daly is the Program Manager of the Tooth Taxi. She says the truck is set up to make kids feel good about seeing the dentist.

Mary Daly: “The way that we introduce the kids to it, part of that is making the van really fun with the graphics and making it kid-friendly. We try to make it a positive experience for them with the monitors so they can watch DVDs while they’re receiving treatment – that makes them at ease and makes them more comfortable.”

Daly says Oregon is one the worst-ranked states in children’s dental health.

The Tooth Taxi will start touring in September and visit schools mostly in rural areas. The first stops are Independence, Sweet Home and Mount Angel.