Miles of Smiles-Laredo, a school-based portable dental program, provides preventive dental services and case management to elementary school children along the Texas-Mexico border. The program evaluates outcomes that measure the impact of evidence-based dental public health programs on the health of the community.
The Latest Facts & Findings
Approximately 6% of children have been identified as having an urgent oral health care need that has not been addressed. An urgent need is defined as the child having visible signs of infection or pain that is not addressed. Nationally, 3% of children have urgent oral health care needs.
7,000
children from 38 elementary schools participate in the program each year.
63%
of first-grade children seen at Miles of Smiles-Laredo had erupted all four first-permanent molar teeth.
The goal of the Miles of Smiles-Laredo program is to reduce oral health inequities in economically disadvantaged elementary school children living along the Texas-Mexico border.
