Lacie Dobyns, Helping Kenosha’s Children with Seal-A-Smile
Helping people smile is what KCHC’s Registered Dental Hygienist, Lacie Dobyns, lives for.
“I chose a career in healthcare because I enjoy having the opportunity to help others,” shared Dobyns.
A veteran of the KCHC dental team, Dobyns has been working at Kenosha Community Health Center since 2011. She worked at KCHC as a dental assistant for eight years before continuing her training to become a dental hygienist.
“I enjoy helping the kids with education on how to take care of their teeth.”
Dobyns’s experience and training are now assisting her in helping children throughout Kenosha County through the Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile program at Kenosha Unified School District elementary schools.
“Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile (SAS) is a collaborative effort between the Alliance, Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and Delta Dental of Wisconsin. The program’s mission is to improve the oral health of Wisconsin children by providing school-based dental sealants. SAS grantees include dentists, dental hygienists, schools, hospitals, local health departments, community health centers, non-profit agencies, and free clinics,” according to the Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin.
Along with other KCHC team members, Dobyns visits all of Kenosha‘s public elementary schools, along with a few county schools. The team works with an average of 25 kids per day, per hygienist. As a result, some schools can take several days to complete.
“I enjoy helping the kids with education on how to take care of their teeth,” states Dobyns.
The Seal-A-Smile program allows the team to see patients who need care but might not otherwise have access to dental services. With these free exams, KCHC’s dental experts can give parents an overview of their child’s oral health and recommend potential follow-up treatments.
“We offer free exams and take away all the obstacles that could stop that parent from bringing a child to get a dental exam, such as lack of insurance, low income, lack of transportation, and lack of dental education. Placing sealants on children with a high cavity risk also helps us prevent future decay and, therefore, helps improve youth overall health,” states Dobyns.
Dobyns strives to treat each patient and their individual needs while encouraging and helping them achieve positive changes in their oral health. She commends the Seal-A-Smile program as “a great way to introduce kids to the dentist and teach oral health care to children in need. We are continuing to hit KCHC’s goals and plan to grow our program to see even more schools in the future.”
KCHC dentists and hygienists provide children and adults with preventive and general dental care and education to help patients gain lasting dental health that makes them smile. We invite you to call 262-226-4320 to schedule a dental appointment with one of our many dental providers located at 6226 14th Avenue in Kenosha or 903 S. 2nd Street in Silver Lake.
