At Community Health Center (CHC) of Snohomish, Yessica Angel (Dental Outreach Program Supervisor) and Dr. Sue Yoon (Chief Dental Officer) are dedicated to bringing essential dental care to young children across the county through their school-based oral health clinics and dental outreach. While Yessica coordinates care for children at around 40 elementary schools, Dr. Yoon – who has been with CHC for 14 years – handles administrative work and program development alongside continuing to practice dentistry at a CHC clinic. Yessica and Dr. Yoon joined Delta Dental of Washington to share their experiences having as many as 4,000 contacts a year through their winter and summer programs – Smile Checks and Sealants – where they identify children in need of immediate treatment, provide essential preventive care, and coordinate access to care for families experiencing barriers by prioritizing them at CHC of Snohomish clinics.
Why did you decide to go into the dental industry? A SBOHP?
Yessica: I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do after school, though when my sister decided to go to technical school to be a medical assistant, I felt inspired to join her – though to go my own as a dental assistant – and see how I liked it. With all the hands-on work and working with different people, I immediately felt at home. I saw everyone working to help each other and knew then I wanted to work in the dental field. Though I didn’t start at CHC, I’ve now happily been with CHC for almost 10 years. I started helping with outreach in 2019 and have since loved partnering with different providers and administrators and going to so many schools to help the kids.
Dr. Yoon: I must first add that it’s been a real joy to watch Yessica’s progression, as she’s always been a champion for the program – even before it was her title.
Before I formally started pursuing my career path, I understood early on that oral health access was a challenge – my personal story connects to that – and that dentistry is truly unattainable for many people. As a high school student, I was fortunate to have an amazing mentor who really believed in me. I got to shadow and work in his office in different roles, and he helped me stay the course through my prerequisites.
I knew, even throughout my training, that I really wanted to work in a community health setting, as it aligned with my reason for going into dentistry: to help underserved communities overcome access challenges. I felt committed to being a part of that solution instead of going down the traditional path of opening a private practice and more exclusively working with those privileged enough to have private insurance.
The school-based oral health program naturally tied to that understanding that yes, we can open all of these brick and mortar clinics, hire dentists to come on site, and have patients come to us, but that doesn’t enable children with barriers to care get seen. Kids are reliant on their parents to drive them to appointments – maybe even to miss work, which they may not be able to afford – and that’s more than a child can or should deal with. So, if there’s any small way I can support bringing services to them – in a way that makes sense for them and is comfortable for them – I'm here for it.
To me, it's incredible that we identify kids in need. I can’t help but think “had this school-based program not been there, would this child have ever been identified as someone needing care?” Or for kids experiencing toothaches, I always wonder “how long has this been going on and how has an adult not helped you?” It is infinitely meaningful to me that we not only identify untreated issues, but also get these kids connected with definitive care – so they no longer have to be in pain and carry that stress. We get to help them feel better and get back on track toward their success in school – and just being a kid.
What is the most satisfying part of your job?
Yessica: Hands down, the most satisfying part of my job is to see the smiles on children’s faces after their screenings or preventive care, like fluoride and sealants. They’re so happy we’re there. Some kids haven’t been able to see the dentist in years and it’s so sad. We offer services to a lot of immigrant children too, and it means a lot to be able to meet them at school where they’re already comfortable. This often makes it easier for the doctor to talk to them and help them feel safe and calm.
Dr. Yoon: I’m right there with Yessica. Of course, there’s always that one kiddo who impacts you, though broadly, it’s satisfying to have a scalable program in place.
When I first started with CHC, we didn't have much of an outreach program. When we started, we only had a handful of partnerships with local schools, based on their requests. Reopening after COVID really exposed that many kids hadn’t gotten care during that time. Both school nurses and administrators were seeing an explosion of needs, and that moved many more school district partners to seek our services.
Now we have an entire dedicated team who does this work throughout the entire school year. It’s incredibly rewarding to me to know that we have built a sustainable program that our schools and communities recognize as valuable.
That said, I think it’s just the start of our growth. There are still a lot of underserved schools in our county – so there’s a lot of opportunity to do even more.
You’re passionate about eliminating oral health disparities because:
Yessica: I know we’ll eventually make a difference in these kids’ lives by getting them the help they deserve and need. I love that we’re able to give them knowledge about oral health and how to keep their smiles healthy. Being able to teach kids about prevention – in their own schools – is amazing! This is my second year in the outreach program and the students we saw last year now recognize us and love that we’re there to assist them with any oral health issues.
Dr Yoon: As a practicing clinician, I’m endlessly passionate about oral health and disease prevention. I love doing extractions and fillings. I can do it with the best of them! But I’d also love not to have to take out all 28 teeth of a 20-year-old. I’d love for that never to be someone’s reality again – and on the whole, to prevent the need for fillings and extractions.
I really see with our school-based program as an opportunity for widespread prevention, with the vision that maybe this next generation won’t have the same disease impact as their parents – and the young adults that we’re seeing now. So if we can get those young teeth sealed up and protected – and just give them a chance at a healthier outcome than the generation before – then I think we’ve succeeded.
And that’s what I’m truly passionate about. I’d rather apply thousands of sealants than extract thousands of teeth.
What are some of the challenges your pediatric patients face that you wish more dental professionals knew about?
Yessica: Many kids we see are afraid of the dentist – even when we walk through the door – so we know they’ll need extra support. When kids are scared, it’s usually because they’re having their first dental interaction and don’t know what to expect. They get nervous – crying and saying ‘no’ to avoid being seen – but by the time our provider comes and introduces themselves, the children start feeling safer. Our dentists are great at talking with students and helping them get comfortable in the chair. I would guess as many as 90% of fearful or nervous students get seen. By the end, they know we’re not here to hurt – and that we’re here to help.
Dr. Yoon: In addition to that, and I like I mentioned before, many of these kids and their families are facing barriers. Unless they're working with those communities, I don’t know if other dental professionals quite realize that when you’ve got a kid of an immigrant family, living below the poverty level, getting to a dentist and coordinating a dentist appointment is a huge lift. Along with coordinating transportation and time off work and school, there can also be language barriers that can make even scheduling an appointment difficult. Because of these hurdles, for many of these families, it seems easier to avoid dental and hope for the best. And that’s how many of these kids end up without care – until something is painful and the situation is more dire. That’s why I encourage dental professionals to think about all the anxiety, pain, fear, and cost we could prevent through a really proactive approach of getting out to the schools and meeting kids there.
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At work, you’re the happiest when:
Yessica: I see the smiling kids at the end. They don’t know what’s going on in their mouths or what this black spot is, so I’m happiest when I’m giving kids this awareness of what to look for and when to tell an adult, and also a chance to get care.
Dr. Yoon: From my leadership role, I'm happiest at work when I see my team all working together for the best interest of the patient. Our school-based outreach team really exemplifies that. We’ve also got two great providers who are amazing with kids and driven to focus on prevention, so seeing all the right players work together to make a program run smoothly is a true joy for me – as it’s what has the most positive impact on our pediatric patients. I’m so proud of our team.
How can your fellow dental professional community support you and support your program?
Dr. Yoon: I encourage our colleagues to learn more about your local school-based oral health program, reach out with questions, and provide feedback on what they’re seeing.
Dr. Yoon: First, I want to express our appreciation and gratitude to many local dental colleagues for your engagement and the support you've shared.
Overall, I would encourage us to unify around our shared purpose to improve oral health – and that our prevention and outreach work in schools is never about competition – especially since we’re often reaching underserved kids who otherwise aren’t seeking or receiving care through traditional avenues.
We know that many of the kids we see in schools have dental homes in private offices, outside of FQHCs (Federally Qualified Health Centers) - and that is wonderful! We want to promote and re-engage them back into their dental home. We have plenty of patient demand at our clinics, so our school-based programs aren’t a patient recruitment tool. We’d love for the larger dental community to know and embrace that our goal is to identify needs and then reconnect them with any oral health professional who they’re already seeing. We’d love to hear from you to strengthen our partnership and how we can work together to ensure all kids can thrive and be healthy.
We’re the most powerful when we view each other and our work as collaborative. And when it comes to children? We’re the most powerful and effective when we all prioritize supporting each other to ensure these kids receive care – however they can.
1. A dental team from CHC of Snohomish providing pediatric care
2. Yessica Angel, Dental Outreach Program Supervisor (CHC of Snohomish)
3. Dr. Sue Yoon, Chief Dental Officer (CHC of Snohomish)
