Dubois County offers mobile dental care for children June 18

Dubois County parents will have a one-day chance to get children in for dental care at the health department in Jasper, where a mobile dentist team will see patients June 18 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time. The event is open countywide to children ages 18 months through 18 years, giving families a local option for cleanings, oral exams and any treatment the dental team determines is needed.

The Dubois County Health Department is partnering with Indiana Dental Outreach for the visit at 1187 S. Saint Charles St. in Jasper. Appointments are required and will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis, so families who want a spot will need to register early. Those with private insurance or Medicaid will have services billed accordingly, while children without coverage can be seen through a sliding fee scale designed to keep cost from blocking care.

Shawn Werner, the health department’s administrative director, said access to dental care is a critical part of overall health, especially for children, and said the department is proud to work with Indiana Dental Outreach to bring those services directly into the community. The setup reflects the department’s broader mission, which centers on prevention, health education, childhood immunizations and screenings, communicable disease control and partnerships with other organizations.

The June clinic also fits into a larger local oral-health effort already underway in Dubois County. The health department participates in Give Kids A Smile, a February program that sends health educators into kindergarten and preschool classrooms to teach brushing and flossing and provide children with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Indiana’s oral-health guidance says Give Kids A Smile is intended to provide free screenings, preventive and restorative services or education, and to connect children who need treatment with a dental home.

The mobile clinic matters because routine dentistry can be hard to reach for families who are uninsured, underinsured or balancing other bills. Indiana’s Hoosier Healthwise program covers qualifying children up to age 19, and the county’s billing structure is built around that reality, along with private insurance and sliding-fee access. Families seeking appointments can call 812-481-7050 for more information.