By Hyun Chung

Special to The Sentinel

Gov. Martin O'Malley was at the Foundation School in Largo on Nov. 13 to introduce the Deamonte Driver Dental Project, a new program to help find dental care for those who can't afford it.

"This will reduce the disparities and help those who can't afford dental care," O'Malley said.

The state, with the push from O'Malley, has allocated $14 million in next year's budget for the project, the first of its kind in the nation. It will be used to make dental care affordable and available for elementary school students.

The project is a collaboration among members of the Robert T. Freeman Dental Society and other county doctors who have formed Dentists in Action.

Dentists in Action is a committee who provided a list of seven recommendations for the role of the project, all of which O'Malley supports.

Part of the $14 million aid will go toward fulfilling those recommendations, one of which would raise the reimbursement rates for equipment and care for dentists who volunteer in the program.

Hazel Harper, co-founder and director of the project, said she was most excited for $300,000 that would go to the Prince George's County Health Department for the Dental Van Project.

The Dental Van Project will be a "rolling dental clinic," according to Harper. A design for the van was unveiled at Foundation School. It will be a van supplied with all the necessary equipment to supply proper dental care.

Harper said the van would initially target nine elementary schools in Prince George's County. She added that the van will always be within a 15-minute radius to any student. A special hotline will be made available for students to call if they need dental care.

"This is unbelievable," Harper said. "This is the best step in fulfilling something many of us have been working so hard to achieve."

Harper added that the van will give care to 2,200 in its first year and will be run by volunteer dentists. Twenty-two dentists have already signed up to volunteer. Harper's goal is to sign up a total of 50.

"It's nothing to volunteer a few hours a week," Howard University dental student Christine Lee said. "It's a small return for an ongoing problem."

"I was largely disturbed by how many underserved children can't afford dental care," David Ramsay, UMBC President, said. Ramsay and students from UMBC dental school were also at O'Malley's presentation.

The Deamonte Driver Dental Project, the first of its kind in the nation, is named after the 12-year-old who died last February after his mother was unable to find dental care for her son. Bacteria from dental disease spread to his brain causing his death.

"We took that tragedy very seriously," O'Malley said.

"We are by no means done, but we're making progress."

More information about the project is available at http://www.deamontesdentalproject.org