With flashlight in hand, dentist Virginia Meek is on a mission. Since moving to the Ukiah area, she has dedicated her professional life to the oral health our community's children and persons with disabilities throughout Mendocino County.

Breaking short a career as an assistant clinical professor at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry, and closing a private practice in the Los Angeles area that spanned over 16 years, Dr. Meek came to Ukiah when her husband, Wallace Meek, accepted the management position at the Ukiah office of the Employment Development Department. With some time on her hands in her new community, she took a class that altered her career and changed her life.

She completed a year's fellowship at the University of Washington School of Dentistry. The course of study focused on the oral health needs of people with disabilities. It awakened her to the tremendous lack of oral health services for persons with special needs and for children. "Previously," according to Dr. Meek, "my career was focused on adults. I had no inkling of the huge numbers of people—both the disabled and the very young—who had tremendous oral health problems. These issues were compounded by the fact that very few dentists in the Northern California region were treating the needs of these populations. "

Practicing dentistry for over 10 years at Hillside Health Center, Dr. Meek has gained recognition for her work with persons with special needs, children, and, more generally, for those who are afraid of a trip to the dentist. Known for her gentle manner, patients come from throughout Lake, Mendocino, and Sonoma Counties to sit in her chair.

Her caring manner and enthusiasm are palpable. If you ask her why she has chosen to devote her practice to youngsters and to the disabled, her response is short and sweet, "Need." According to Dr. Meek, "Over 300 persons with developmental disabilities have been seen at Hillside Health Center. Children under five in our area have had extremely limited access to dental care; there are very few dental practices that welcome children under five years of age, and no dental services are available for children with Medi-Cal benefits. Compare those grim facts with the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry that children see a dentist by the age of one, and you can see there is a tremendous unmet need among youngsters."

Commitment to community

Dr. Meek believes in collaborative efforts and participates on many community boards that focus on the health of children and persons with special needs. She sits on the Head Start Health Services Advisory Committee and the Mendocino County Children's Health Committee. She is also the Statewide Dental Consultant for the California Department of Rehabilitation, and attends the University of the Pacific Statewide Taskforce for the Oral Health of People with Disabilities.

Dr. Meek's work has earned her the admiration of parents, gratitude from her patients and kudos from her colleagues. According to Pat Thygesen, Deputy Director of the Head Start Child Development Program. "Dr. Meek has taught us to become much more actively involved in preventative oral health for children. She regularly comes into our Early Head Start and Head Start program centers and screens children for potential dental problems. She finds that a large number of our kids have problems, and she refers some of them to San Francisco, so they can get the help they so desperately need.

But, beyond her professional expertise, Dr. Meek has a phenomenal energy and commitment that inspires us. We're not the only ones who take notice of her extraordinary work. Last year during our federal review process, our reviewers told me they wished they could clone Dr. Meek and take her into every Head Start center in the state."

Oral health care for the very young

After looking into hundreds of young mouths, Dr. Meek says, "Parents don't realize it, but dental problems begin very early—usually with the bedtime bottle. The practice of putting a child to sleep with a baby bottle filled with juice or milk has lead to an epidemic of cavities known as Early Childhood Caries. In the last year alone, 39 children under the age of three were referred to one of the two universities in San Francisco that take children for sedated hospital dentistry. Their conditions were extreme, they were in pain and they needed immediate intervention."

Identifying dental problems early is very important to children's long-term health. Dental neglect, or untreated dental disease is painful. It prevents children from engaging in normal daily activities and can adversely affect development of a positive self-image. Also, most parents will be surprised to discover, it can have an impact on their ability to learn."

She urges parents to be good models. "Make sure your child sees you brushing and flossing," she says, "and let them join you on your regular trip to the dentist. Because kids identify with their parents, this positive modeling is one of the most important dental health techniques a parent has—and it's free!"