2022 Tooth Truck Annual Campaign

We are pleased to welcome you to the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile.

®

Also known as the Tooth Truck to our friends.

In the twenty years that have passed since we first took to the road, the Tooth Truck has reached 29,521 of at-risk children and provided $20,471,806 in services at no cost to their families. More than that, we have imparted on many children the importance of maintaining their oral health.

All of this has been possible with your help.

Now, we’re ready for the next phase, the next twenty years, and the next 29,521 of children in need of help finding their healthy smiles.

Mason was five years old

when he was first seen by the Tooth Truck during its visit to Field Elementary School. He was diagnosed with eight cavities, which were treated over the course of five dental appointments. While the initial visits were conducted at Mason’s school, the Tooth Truck worked with Mason’s mother to ensure his treatment could continue as the Truck moved to serve another school.

His mother was extraordinarily grateful to the Tooth Truck for addressing Mason’s dental needs and very motivated to ensure all appointments were kept.

Dr. Sarah, our 12-year General Dentist, knew that Mason liked Paw Patrol, and thought a couple special stuffed friends might be just the morale boost he needed to get through treatments. On his second to last visit, he chose one to keep him company during his final appointment.

The full value of Mason’s dental treatment was $2,507.

Mason’s older brother, Micah, also received treatment.

His needs weren’t as extensive and only required one appointment to place protective sealants on healthy teeth, that would have otherwise cost his family $1,483 if it weren’t for the Tooth Truck and the generous donors who keep it running.

At the Tooth Truck, Children Receive More Than Dental Care.

They also receive the tools and the knowledge to help maintain their oral health. A visit to the Tooth Truck can have a lasting impact, as was discovered in a recent study in which we went back and visited more than 600 kids who had previously been treated by the Tooth Truck. This study was conducted in three parts, and focused on three groups of Tooth Truck kids—those treated during the 2011-2012, 2014-2015, and 2017-2018 school years. The results speak for themselves.

In each of the groups the Tooth Truck revisited, more than 93% of former Tooth Truck kids had maintained or improved their oral hygiene. This demonstrates the profound impact the Tooth Truck has on children across the Ozarks, both in helping them reclaim their confidence, and providing them with the tools and knowledge they need to keep their smiles healthy.

When Quentin was a kindergartner,

he had six cavities repaired on the Tooth Truck over three dental visits. Now as a seven-year-old at Watkins Elementary, he returned to the Tooth Truck with a much different report. Thanks to the good habits he learned from the Tooth Truck, he was cavity-free! Only one appointment was necessary including a cleaning, diagnostics, and sealants with a treatment value of $654.

Quentin’s brushing and healthy habits had improved dramatically from his previous visits and he took great pride in his progress. He left the staff absolutely wowed. Quentin is a great example of how the Tooth Truck can impact a child’s life, both in sharpening their dental hygiene habits and bolstering their confidence in their healthy smiles.

From the moment

our staff came to get Sophia from her first grade class at Cowden Elementary, she displayed an excitement and positivity that was absolutely contagious. From showing off her light-up wheels on her wheelchair, to picking out a new sticker, she radiated joy during each of her three visits to repair four cavities. Her treatment costs totaled $2,096, which was covered

by Medicaid.

6%

48% 46% 2011-2012 Phase 1

7%

30

%

6%

63

%

2014-2015 Phase 2

23% 71% 2017-2018 Phase 3

BETTER

ORAL HEALTH

SAME

ORAL HEALTH

WORSE

ORAL HEALTH

As all vehicles inevitably do, the

Tooth Truck is starting to show its age. Thanks entirely to the generosity of our wonderful donors, we will be able to retire the current Truck after 20 years and upgrade both our wheels and our mobile clinic. We’ll never forget the children who made our first 20 years so special. We look forward to carrying their stories and triumphs to our new Tooth Truck, where we will continue to restore smiles and confidence in kids across the Ozarks for many years to come.

Thanks to the generosity of Springfield Public Schools, $525,000 in ARPA ESSER funds have been awarded to the Tooth Truck to underwrite the vast majority of this $587,569 project.

"We are so grateful for the valued partnership with RMHC’s Tooth Truck, which has made a significant impact on the health of SPS students over the past twenty years. Providing dental services directly onsite at schools reduces time away from school for students and work for parents, and instills healthy dental habits for students for a lifetime,” said Jean Grabeel, Director of SPS Health Services.

Compartment Holding Dental Vacuum & Compressor

Sterilization Area

Patient Waiting Area

Access to Cab

Staff Break Area

4th Workstation Dental Chair with Ceiling Mounted Light

Office Area Larger Cabinets

Big Foot Jacks Custom Exterior Graphics Featuring Local Children

Extra Storage

Dental Chair with Ceiling Mounted Light

Optional 5th Workstation

100 Foot Heavy Duty Plug Exterior Security Camera

Wheelchair Accessible Door

Where does the Tooth Truck go at night? With the unpredictability

of the Ozark weather, keeping our Tooth Truck warm and toasty can be a predicament overnight. Thanks to the generous support of the Springfield Underground, the Tooth Truck has found a secure and climate controlled place to tuck the truck in and know that everything will be good to go the next day.

Fun Facts

47,679 X-rays 94,485 Sealants 29,521 Patients 63,016 Appointments 102 Sites Visited $

20,471,806

Value of Dental Treatment

(Program-to-date statistics)

With your support, kids can discover the rewards of a

bright happy smile. Ronald McDonald House Charities maximizes every contribution, quadrupling its value to provide dental treatment for children in need. Thank you for bringing quality dental care to these children, and for keeping the Tooth Truck on the road.

By donating online at RMHCozarks.org/Tooth-Truck or completing the enclosed form, you’re helping The Tooth Truck and Ronald McDonald House Charities® of the Ozarks accelerate onto the hygiene highway to provide dental treatments to the kids in our community who truly need it the most.

RMHCozarks.org/Tooth-Truck ©2022 Ronald McDonald House Charities. The following trademarks used herein are owned by McDonald’s Corporation and its affiliiates and are used under license: Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, Ronald McDonald House Charities. The Tooth Truck name and logo are owned by The Tooth Truck, Inc.

Help

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Help the Tooth Truck and Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks in providing access to dental treatment for EVERY STUDENT that qualifies for free and reduced lunch, regardless of Medicaid coverage.

I wish to underwrite one or more treatment plan(s) as follows: ______ Average treatment plan for 1 child @ $250 ______ Average treatment plan for 2 children @ $500 ______ Average treatment plan for 4 children @ $1,000

Your investment will provide more than FOUR TIMES its value in dental treatment!

I would like to donate a different amount.

I have enclosed $______________________ .

PAYMENT METHOD: Enclosed is my check in the amount of $ (Please make check payable to RMHC.) Credit Card MasterCard

Visa

Discover

American Express

Card Number: Expiration Date:

Security Code:

Name: Address: City:

State:

Zip:

Telephone:

Please contact me about becoming a monthly donor.

You may also make your donation by calling 417.875.3505 or online at toothtruck.org