Ronald McDonald
House Charities®
The mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities is to create, find and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children in the Ozarks.
There are no open positions at this time.
The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile Program is an international mobile healthcare initiative that is currently operating in 36 cities in the United States, Argentina, El Salvador, Poland, and New Zealand.
The 11th in the world, the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile of the Ozarks in Springfield, Missouri has been in operation since 2002, providing more than $6.3 million in dental treatment for more than 10,000 children through more than 27,000 appointments. The two-operatory mobile clinic is all digital, using Dentrix software.
The Tooth Truck serves children primarily with 18 public schools in the city of Springfield. The majority of these elementary and middle school students are considered at risk. Ongoing funding is guaranteed by Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks. The program is funded and governed on a local level, but benefits from collaboration and additional resources for the international network of Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles.
To discuss specifics about the program, contact Program Director, Mindy Muñoz by calling 417.875.3504 or 417.894.4652, or at mindy.munoz@toothtruck.org. For more information about Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks and the Tooth Truck programs, visit www.ronaldmcdonaldhouse.org.
The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile was started by Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks in 2001 after the organization learned of the severe lack of access to dental treatment that area at risk children experience.
"Tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease." (Oral Health Initiative: A Report of the Surgeon General, May 2000).
Information about the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile follows:
-Most children who are treated on the Tooth Truck have never been to a dentist. Many are experiencing pain on a daily basis or are embarrassed to smile due to excessive tooth decay.
-Medicaid reimburses less than half of the cost of treatment. Very few dentists in the area accept Medicaid.
-Another barrier to care, just as significant as low Medicaid reimbursement and lack of providers, is available transportation to dental appointments. The Tooth Truck removes the transportation barrier.
-The Tooth Truck visits 18 Caring Community schools in Springfield, along with Republic, Billings, Clever, and Willard Schools, Boys & Girls Club, The Kitchen, Salvation Army, and Boys & Girls Town when school is not in session.
-The Tooth Truck provides a full range of dental services. Our goal is to complete every child's treatment plan, giving them healthy smiles and education on how to prevent future decay, along with necessary dental supplies.
-Volunteers known as "Dental Care Advocates" are a critical part of the Tooth Truck visit. They provide one-on-one support, greeting children, accompanying them to and from their classrooms, and teaching each child about oral hygiene and calming fears of children visiting the dentists for the first time.
-A child's visit to the Tooth Truck is a huge boost to his or her self-esteem. Each child learns more about caring for their own health and experiences the true love and support of our staff and volunteers.
-The annual operating budget of the Tooth Truck exceeds $500,000. Less than 45% of this amount is reimbursed through Medicaid. The remainder is funded by donations from the community through Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks, an organization that guarantees on-going funding. The Greater Springfield Dental Society is the Tooth Truck's largest annual contributor and was instrumental in starting the program.
