Free dental treatment for thousands of poor children could get capped. The Louisiana Dental Association wants to drill away dental vans that travel to schools.

Tuesday in Baton Rouge, lawmakers will discuss a bill to ban dental vans. Supporters say they give subpar treatment, while opponents say children rely on them.

“You got to clean cavities and brush your teeth really good,” student JT Taylor said. Mom says he's learning brushing tips at school inside a David Raines dental van, saving her a trip to the dentist.
"You don't want to lose work because you called in because your child's sick, someone else could take your job," Lakeisha Taylor said.

The at school option could get cleaned out. The Louisiana Dental Association wants to drill away dental vans, saying it eliminates parental involvement.

The David Raines mobile unit travels to 7 Caddo parish schools, giving free exams and sending parents a report card. Doctors treated 344 children so far this year, next year that number could drop to zero.

Especially poor children, Jeanetta Scott, of David Raines,says dentists put a cap on the number of Medicaid patients. "When you don't stay by the dentist, trying to find one that accepts Medicaid is hard,” Mother Latasha Cornelius said.

Dr. Bill Hall says more dentists are accepting Medicaid children because the state increased its reimbursement rate. For parents who can't make the trip to the dentist, the dental association plans to bus children from school to an office.

Here’s information on the Children’s Dental Clinic, which offers exams for $5.

Call: 318-212-6363 to schedule an appointment.
Treatment is for children without dental insurance from low income families.