10 Jul Smile Forward Program to Ease Dental Pain for McPherson Students
Tooth pain is often described as one of the most disruptive types of pain a person can experience, relentless, difficult to ignore, and hard to manage. For children, it can be especially overwhelming.
Rising insurance costs, the price of dental exams and care, and limited access to low-income dental providers have made oral health increasingly difficult to maintain. As a result, many dental issues go untreated until the pain becomes more severe and more expensive.
Leslee Miller of Mid-Kansas Dental in McPherson has seen the impact firsthand. In the past, her office has worked with local school nurses to provide emergency relief to elementary students, often offering services pro bono. Providing instant relief the child and their families.
This year, Miller participated in Leadership McPherson, a program offered by the McPherson Chamber of Commerce that teaches leadership through hands-on community initiatives. When the class brainstormed potential projects, Miller brought up her offices experience with providing pro bono dental care, and the group decided on that idea to build on.
They named the program Smile Forward, a new initiative designed to boost the confidence and well-being of K–8 students by connecting schools and dentists to deliver critical oral health care. For the 2025–26 school year, the program will launch in partnership with USD 418 and two local dental providers: Mid-Kansas Dental and Yowell Dental Group.
If a student reports to the school nurse with severe tooth pain, the nurse will contact the participating dental offices to confirm program space. Nurses will then refer the family the dental offices information for them to make an appointment.
“If you don’t have insurance, it’s hard to pay for those emergencies,” Miller said.
Angela Brunk, director of Steps Against Poverty McPherson County (StepMC) and a member of the Leadership McPherson class, said the group has raised funds to help cover costs that go beyond what the dentists can offer pro bono. That expendable fund is currently held at the McPherson County Community Foundation.
“I came from education before I was at StepMC. If a student has a toothache, that’s all they’re going to think about,” Brunk said. “To lift the pain and the financial burden for families, it’s huge.”
USD 418 Licensed Practical Nurse Jessica Behrens says that she’s grateful to have more resources as the school year approaches. Just last year, the district referred three families to Mid-Kansas Dental for urgent care.
“Dental insurance is expensive, and having a resource like this really takes a load off both the kids and their parents,” Behrens said. “Kids are way more successful when they feel good.”
Although Smile Forward is the official project of the Leadership McPherson Class of 2025, it is expected to continue beyond the current class as long as partnerships remain. For now, the program will serve K–8 students in McPherson schools, but groups says that in can expand to other districts as more dental providers come on board.