By MICHAEL STRAND

Salina Journal

"No shots."

Whether that was a question, a demand -- or a plaintive hope -- was difficult to determine as the little girl clambered up onto the dental chair Tuesday afternoon at Heartland Programs.

After being assured of no shots, the girl was still faced with the rest of a dental exam.

But at least she was grinning, instead of grimacing.

"Open, open, open really wide, like an alligator," said Dr. Susan Krotzinger, and the young patient gradually opened up.

Krotzinger started her job as the dentist for Salina Family HealthCare in early June and Tuesday worked with Heartland Programs Head Start, performing dental screenings on children as part of enrollment.

For the past several years, Head Start has relied on the volunteer help of local dentists and hygienists, such as dentist Dr. Lynn Wuthnow and hygienists Carrie Newman and Meghan Hashaw, to provide periodic exams, and recently added cleanings and fluoride treatments for its young patients.

This past fall, Dr. Tim Pivonka, who was the dentist at Salina Family HealthCare for the past two years, resigned.

Dentist's arrival important

Krotzinger's coming to Salina is an important part of overall care for the community, said Mary Jo Stedry, chief executive officer of Salina Family HealthCare since the beginning of 2008.

"There are a lot of folks who don't have medical or dental insurance, and the population that needs this assistance is growing by leaps and bounds," Stedry said. In 2006, Salina Family HealthCare's dental clinic saw about 1,800 patients, for a total of 5,200 dental encounters, Stedry said.

Too often, Stedry said, people neglect their teeth.

"I think our poor teeth and our poor feet are in the same place. We take care of what's in between and tend to not think about the other two."

To recruit a new dentist, Stedry said, the clinic turned to a mass-mailing to graduating dental students to get the word out about the opening.

Krotzinger said she had some relationship to Salina before finding out about the dental opening at the clinic. She grew up in Wetmore, which is northwest of Kansas City. Her father was friends with both a local doctor named Jim Roderick and with Keith Duckers, former president of St. John's Military School in Salina.

She spent time as an elementary school teacher before deciding to go into dentistry, Krotzinger said, so working with children is more than just something she's learned as part of chair-side manner.

Because it really hurts

One thing she's learned, she said, is that many people, even those with dental insurance, won't visit a dentist until it's an emergency, largely over worries of shots and pain.

"There are lots of people who are afraid of going to the dentist and don't," she said. "They'll come every six or seven years, when they have a toothache. Just having insurance isn't a guarantee that people will seek dental care."

Already, Stedry said, the clinic is working to bring a second dentist to Salina to provide care for indigent patients.

"We're looking at dental schools in neighboring states," Stedry said. "We tell them the support for Salina Family HealthCare is unique -- I tell them the medical, as well as the dental, community is truly wonderful, and that Dr. Krotzinger has been really welcomed into the dental community."

Krotzinger's arrival coincides with the building of a dedicated dental exam room at Heartland Programs. The room previously was a rest room, but now includes cabinets, an exam chair, chairs for a dentist and assistants and lighting.

Previously, dental equipment was taken to Head Start for regular clinics, which were conducted in offices.

But with donations of supplies, such as the dental chair by Dr. Wuthnow and bags of toothbrushing kits from the Delta Dental Foundation of Kansas, dental care is becoming a standard part of Head Start offerings, said Heartland Programs health specialist Thea Todd.

"We have received a lot of support from other dentists as well," Todd said. We're finding more and more community support, in the dental community."

n Reporter Mike Strand can be reached at 822-1418 or by e-mail at mstrand@salina.com.

Join the Discussion:

Salina.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here. Read our full online terms of service policy.

Post a comment
Your best chance of getting your comment posted:

• No profanity
• Be civil
• Everyone is innocent until proven guilty.

Comment:

Poster:

Enter text seen above:

Read our full use policy.