Houston Health Foundation President Robin Mansur said the program primarily focuses on second graders because that is when permanent molars erupt. (Roo Moody/Community Impact)
Founded in 2010, the Houston Health Foundation was created to partner with the Houston Health Department to serve vulnerable individuals in the community.
Robin Mansur, CEO and president of the foundation, said a director at the health department founded the nonprofit after realizing public dollars were insufficient to address the community's needs.
“The Houston Health Department is an amazing organization,” Mansur said. “Every day they’re working to protect the health of our community, so it’s a great partnership.”
How it works
The foundation has five core health and wellness initiatives, including one for students called Project Saving Smiles.
Primarily focusing on second graders, Project Saving Smiles is a partnership between the foundation and the health department to assess students’ oral health and provide oral education.
The program has worked with more than 200 schools in the Houston area and has completed over 100,000 dental screenings, which are held at the school or at the department’s clinic in the Houston Heights.
For students traveling to the clinic, the day is treated like a field trip. They arrive on school buses and are greeted by staff and volunteers before being ushered into classrooms for oral health training or assessment areas.
“[A] toothache is one of the leading reasons for absences for missing school,” Mansur said. “So another really important aspect of this is that while we're talking about health, we don't have to connect the dots very hard to realize that the health of children has an impact on their academic success and their sense of self-confidence.”
Through Project Saving Smiles, 177,000 students have received dental sealants. (Roo Moody/Community Impact)
The local impact
Once a child is screened, the dental technician can apply a dental sealant and fluoride varnish to prevent cavities from forming. If the student already has cavities, the dental team will refer them to a clinic where they can receive treatment regardless of their insurance status.
Mansur also said more than 1 million children in Texas are uninsured, making up 23% of the national average.
“Parents may struggle with transportation issues, they may be working multiple jobs, have housing or food insecurity, or other factors that are just sort of taking up more of the attention at the time,” she said. “Sometimes it's just a matter of getting the children to the right place for a simple intervention that can have a life-long impact.”
Get involved
The Houston Health Foundation relies heavily on volunteers, Mansur said.
For Project Saving Smiles, volunteers are needed to help usher children from each station and conduct pre-screening assessments. The foundation also needs volunteer hygienists and dentists for the clinical operations.
