Published October 31, 2024
New Haven, CT (Oct. 31, 2024) –Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital’s (YNHCH) is providing pediatric dental care throughout the New Haven community in its dental van.
The pediatric mobile dental unit was parked outside of LULAC Head Start, Inc. Thursday morning from 10 to 11 a.m. and will be making stops to at least 20 different Head Start programs in New Haven and Waterbury over the next year. The unit has been in operation for more than two years.
Children ages six months to five years received preventive dental care and education.
"Investing in the dental health of our youngest children not only enhances their well-being today but also sets the foundation for a lifetime of healthy smiles,” said Dr. Lauren DiBenedetto, DDS, clinical director, Pediatric Dental Center of YNHCH. “The Pediatric Dental Van is a vital step in ensuring that every child has access to the care and education they deserve.”
Outfitted with dental equipment and supplies funded by a $50,000 Delta Dental grant, YNHCH pediatric dentists and residents provide comprehensive dental care to at-risk children. Dental care includes dental exams, x-rays, dental cleanings, fluoride treatments and home care instruction.
YNHCH places a high priority on total health care, and maintaining good oral health is important to the general health and well-being of a child. Pediatric dentists were provided with the opportunity to educate children on the importance of good oral hygiene to keep the child free from oral disease and to intercede with comprehensive restorative care.
Watch coverage from WTNH.
Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital (YNHCH) offers Connecticut’s largest and most comprehensive array of pediatric services. With 208 licensed beds, YNHCH includes two neonatal intensive care units, a pediatric cardiac intensive care unit, a pediatric intensive care unit, a pediatric psychiatry unit, an adolescent psychiatry unit, 24-hour Level 1 Pediatric Emergency Trauma Center and a pediatric surgery center. YNHCH, with campuses in New Haven and Bridgeport, is part of the nationally recognized Yale New Haven Hospital, a 1,541-bed not-for-profit teaching hospital affiliated with Yale School of Medicine. The Yale New Haven Hospital campuses and associated ambulatory sites are Magnet-designated by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. In addition to its inpatient units, YNHCH has three Pediatric Specialty Centers in New Haven and others in Greenwich, New London, Norwalk, Old Saybrook and Trumbull to provide specialty care to children closer to their communities. www.ynhch.org
