The mobile dentist program — Smile North Carolina — will return to Scotland County three times over the next three months.

The Scotland County Department of Public Health will host the first session on Jan. 9. The dental team will be at the county health department AT 1405 West Blvd. in Laurinburg from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 3 p.m.

There are also visits planned for Feb. 13, and March 12.

Children from 12 months to 18 years of age are eligible for the preventive dental services provided by this program.

“The Smile Program will continue to collaborate with our agency to provide dental care to children under 18 years old” said Cardra Burns, WIC program director at Scotland County Department of Public Health.

Smile North Carolina teams include a licensed dentist and registered dental hygienists. The team will provide and complete all paperwork as a state mandated requirement for the dental exam and provide permission forms in English and Spanish and letters to the parent for every child.

Dental referrals are provided by Smile North Carolina if additional dental work is needed.

Most dental insurances, including Medicaid, cover 100 percent of the services that are provided by Smile North Carolina. For those children without dental coverage, charity care services are available with a parent’s signature on a charity care application. No proof of financial status is asked, health officials said.

Smile North Carolina has been coordinating dental care to children, families, and communities for almost 15 years and is OSHA and HIPAA compliant.

Burns said about 132 Scotland County children have received dental care since June 2012.

Smile North Carolina follows strict adherence to the CDC Guidelines for Infection Control; and Practical Infection Control for Dental Sealant Programs in a Portable Dental Care Environment as presented at The National Public Health Dental Sealant Conference.

For information or questions about the program, contact Burns at 277-2470, Ext. 4462.