Dental school’s vans designed to educate, screen

Friday, July 2, 2004 | 9:28 a.m.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., can't get an image out of his head after visiting the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine and seeing their "Crackdown on Cancer" mobile van unit.

The van had a photo of a 28-year-old man who died from chewing smokeless tobacco, Reid said.

The decay "ate right through his skin," said Reid, who was visiting the school to present a $1 million federal check for dental equipment. "It was awful."

The two mobile vans go all over the state screening underserved populations for cancer and teaching them about preventive oral health care, Patrick J. Ferrillo, dental school dean, said.

The van is just one way the dental school fulfills its mission of providing dental care to those in need -- including those with Medicaid, those without insurance and those who cannot afford private care, Ferrillo said. The school runs clinics out of its Shadow Lane campus and at three community locations.

The "Crackdown on Cancer" van is partially funded by state tobacco money, Ferrillo said, and primarily provides smoking education and warns about the dangers of chewing tobacco. This education is especially important in rural areas, where chewing tobacco is more common.

Reid said he was impressed by the van and the school.

"As a result of this, thousands and thousands of people who would not be able to have dental care will now be able to have dental care," Reid said.

The senator said he was especially impressed by the technological equipment the dental school was able to buy for the Shadow Lane campus through the $1 million federal appropriation.

The equipment includes a paperless records system and a radiology laboratory that processes X-rays instantly and brings up images digitally, allowing the dentist to zoom in on any one part of the tooth on the computer screen, Reid said.

"There are only four other dental schools in the whole country that have their equipment," Reid said.

The two-year-old graduate school only moved into the Shadow Lane campus in May and is still waiting for the rest of the complex to be completed, Ferrillo said. The dental clinic is operational but can only see a limited number of patients.

"The dental school is up and running," Ferrillo said. "We're beginning to see patients and beginning treatment."

About 150 students are enrolled in the four-year program, which will not reach its full capacity until 2006. The school received about 2,000 applications for the 75 slots open in next year's class, Ferrillo said.