Washington County holding free back-to-school dental screenings

Washington County Public Health I-Smile will host free dental screenings for kindergartners and ninth-graders Monday on the fifth floor of the Federation Bank building in Washington Monday.

“The state requires all kindergartners and ninth-graders going into that grade to have a dental screening done,” I-Smile coordinator Martha Hernandez said. “We’re encouraging it to catch any dental concerns before they go back to school.”

Hernandez said the free service would help community members that may not otherwise be able to afford a screening.

“If you’re going to a community health center it may be less, but definitely over $100,” she said. “In Washington County, we currently don’t have any dentists taking new Medicaid clients, so that’s been a struggle.”

Hernandez said the screenings would take place Monday, Aug. 16, from 3-6 p.m. on the fifth floor of the Federation Bank building. The program usually processes 20-30 kids per day, and is walk-in only on a first come, first served basis.