On a rainy morning in June, a smiling preteen girl dressed in blue emerged from the white and blue Star Community Heath dental van parked behind Trexler Middle School, Allentown. She received a dental exam, x-ray, cleaning and a fluoride application, procedures often neglected due to their high cost. Patients of Star are charged on a sliding scale depending on their income or insurance coverage; a visit can cost as little as $10.
Asked through an interpreter if she was pleased with her experience, the girl replied, “Si, gracias!” and flashed her pearly whites at her two siblings and father who were awaiting their turns.
Star Community Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center (“FQHC”) affiliated with St. Luke’s University Health Network, has been providing mobile oral health services to the underserved communities throughout its service area for 20 years…