A Catholic woman from Kamuela moves to Iowa, works as a pediatrician at the university there, convinces a colleague who is a pedodontist to fly to Hawaii with her and four other dentists to team up with the Catholic Church’s Mobile Care Health Care Project to give free dental care to 100 kids ages 1 through grade 5.

It’s called the “Healthy Children – Healthy Smiles” Keiki Dental Project. This happy ending is the gift of Dr. Elaine Himadi, a former Kamuela resident and WaimeaIntermediateSchool administrator, who is now a pediatrician at the University of Iowa Children’s MedicalCenter. Her pedodontist colleague is professor Dr. Richard Burke.

Mobile Care Health Care is a partnership between the diocesan Office for Social Ministry and St. Francis Community Health Services. The Mobile Care staff will assist with the Healthy Smiles project and provide its two mobile dental clinics — vans fully equipped with four dental stations and digital radiography.

The project hopes to treat 100 children in Kamuela on the BigIsland during the week of May 14-18. Services will include dental x-rays, fillings, extraction of non-restorable teeth and fluoride treatments. Each child will go home with a toothbrush kit.

“The goals of the project are to bring direct services to children who have limited access to dental care,” Mobile Care’s program director Kaye Lundburg said.

She also hopes the project will make more people aware of the critical need for dentists, especially pedodontists, on the neighbor islands. According to Lundburg, the BigIsland only has one dentist accepting new uninsured or government-insured patients.

The visiting dentists are volunteering their time, paying their own way to Hawaii, and arranging for their own lodging. They have been issued Hawaii State Community Service Licenses to allow them to practice here.

After their work in Kamuela, they will do additional dental screening of children on May 19 in Honokaa.

“Healthy Children – Healthy Smiles” is taking children whose only insurance is Quest or Medicaid or are uninsured and qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Children are receiving preliminary dental checkups to determine who needs treatment. Participating schools include Kanu o ka ‘AinaNewCenturyCharterSchool, Kula Kaiapuni o Waimea, Malama Poki‘i, Punana Leo o Waimea, and WaimeaElementary School.

The project is being sponsored by Dr. Himadi, the University of Iowa, HamakuaHealthCenter and the Mobile Care Health Project.

The Mobile Care Health Project has been the dental safety net for the underserved on the BigIsland since 1997, providing a full range of dental care in more than 17,000 patient visits and $1.5 million in uncompensated dental services. This has been possible through the support of the County of Hawaii, HMSA Foundation, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaii Island United Way, Hawaii Dental Services Foundation, Thomas J. Long Foundation, Catholic parishes and generous individuals. For information, call the Mobile Care Health Project at 987-8904.