DHAT brightens smiles at Alaska Native Medical Center
April 10, 2023
Leandra Beech, Siberian Yupik, is making a positive impact on the dental health of some of the smallest patients visiting the Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC) hospital.
Beech, a Dental Health Aide/Therapist (DHAT) Instructor/Practitioner, recently began screening patients and providing preventive services at ANMC Inpatient Pediatrics.
“As an Alaska Native provider, I am honored and proud to provide care to my people,” Beech said. “I strive to make an impact on their dental care and hope to serve as a role model for others.”
Beech, who is from Gambell, St. Lawrence Island, connects with patients by speaking to them about dental health in Siberian Yupik. Once a week, she rounds with the ANMC Inpatient Pediatrics team in the morning and then returns to see patients and speak with their caregivers in the afternoon.
“Oral health is critical and connected to overall health, said Sarah Shoffstall-Cone, director of ANTHC’s Oral Health Program. “The education Leandra shares with patients and guardians helps establish lifelong healthy oral habits in some of our smallest patients.”
Beech checks for cavities and offers basic preventive services, such as tooth brushing to teach proper technique and fluoride treatments.
She graduated from the DHAT Program in 2018 and has worked as a DHAT since. DHATs provide professional and culturally competent dental care and prevention services, fighting the decades-long epidemic of oral suffering and disease around rural Alaska and improving access to dental care for Alaska Native people.
This is a new collaborative project between ANTHC and Southcentral Foundation, but has already shown positive outcomes in identifying children with additional oral health needs and connecting them to the appropriate care.