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Union editor

It’s a dental office on wheels, offering care to kids all over the metro.

The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile was in Ramsey last Wednesday, setting up shop in the parking lot of the Youth First Community of Promise Headquarters along Highway 10.

Inside, kids who frequent the Ramsey neighborhood center were getting a dental check up – some for the first time in years.

The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile went into service this, after three years of planning and getting the funds in place.

The vehicle, specially designed for Ronald McDonald House Children’s Charities, which cost $500,000 to build and equip, was funded entirely by Ecolab.

“The overall mission for Ronald McDonald House Children’s Charities is to provide access to high quality health services for children,” said Gretchen Ambrosier, Ronald McDonald Care Mobile director. “This is one of 40 care mobiles in the world – some offer medical and some dental.”

In the Twin Cities, the charity has done this through its cornerstone Ronald McDonald House, which provides accommodations for out state families who need to be in the metro for their child to receive health care.

The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile is an extension of that same principle.

According to Ambrosier, a needs assessment showed that within a 13 county area, many children were going without proper dental care because families lack access to care or can’t afford it.

Local McDonald’s restaurant owner/operator Kris Murray Genck is a board member for Ronald McDonald House Charities Upper Midwest and has been part of the group that has made the mobile dental service road worthy.

“We were looking for outreach opportunities to take the charity on the road,” said Genck.

She was ecstatic to see it in action on Nov. 25, just a few miles up the road from the McDonald’s franchise she owns in Anoka.

“It has been really exciting to be a part of this and to see it happen,” said Genck, who added that if McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc could see the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, “he would be so proud of this.”

Genck, who got her first job at that Anoka restaurant on her 16th birthday, has worked her way up the McDonald’s corporate ladder and now owns restaurants in Anoka, St. Francis, Becker, Rogers and Elk River.

Support from the McDonald’s owner/operators is necessary for the charity to offer the mobile dental service, which is expected to cost $500,000 to operate over the next three years.

Starting on Dec. 1, 188 McDonald’s restaurants in Minnesota will be donating 4 cents from every Happy Meal sold to support the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, said Genck.

The clinic on wheels has offered services in a number of locations throughout Anoka County, including visits at North Metro Pediatrics in Coon Rapids and Fridley Elementary School.

Visits are also scheduled for Head Start and hopefully the Human Services Center in Blaine.

“We’re really dependent on our community sites,” said Ambrosier. “They identify the 12 patients we see and take care of the paperwork up front.”

“They know the kids, and know the ones who are self conscious or have low self esteem because of visible (tooth) decay.”

Since joining the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, Dr. Maureen Ohland, has seen first-hand the results of so many kids not receiving regular dental care.

“I am amazed at the number of teens with early gum disease,” said Ohland. Many of the patients have never seen a dentist.

“In pediatrics, it’s also been surprising the extent of decay,” she added.

For most, it is the case of limited access or cost that keeps families from getting their kids to the dentist as often as they should.

“This is a huge gap for our kids” said Heidi Geiss, Youth First Community of Promise director. “If our families do even have health insurance, they don’t have dental insurance.”

According to Delta Dental of Minnesota, the state’s largest dental insurer, uninsured children are 2.5 times less likely than insured children to receive dental care.

The service isn’t free – families are encouraged to donate what they can to the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile.

Kids and young adults up to age 21 are eligible for service, along with pregnant women. Currently they must be uninsured.

A 40-foot, 26,000 pound vehicle built specifically to deliver pediatric dental services, the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile has two dental stations for hygiene and restorative work and a reception area.

Patient services include exams, cleanings, fluoride treatments, sealants, X-rays, fillings and extractions, as well as education on proper dental care and the importance of seeing a dentist on a regular basis. The value is approximately $250, said Ambrosier.

One unique feature is the restorative function dentistry offered on board. A change in dental protocol allows properly trained and certified dental hygienists to do fillings once a tooth is prepped by the dentist.

Dr. Ohland, a professor at the University of Minnesota’s School of Dentistry, said this service is a vital part of effectively practicing mobile dentistry.

The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile offers services in 13 metro-area counties including: Anoka, Sherburne, Isanti, Chisago, Washington, Ramsey, Goodhue, Dakota, Rice, LeSeur, Carver, Scott and Hennepin counties.

Medical Teams International has partnered with the charity to manage the operations and clinical services offered on board. Portland-based MTI provides health services to families in need around the world.

Currently, staff who provide clinical services on the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile are paid, but Ambrosier said eventually there are plans to move to a volunteer-based model.

To learn more about Ronald McDonald House Children’s Charities or to make a donation to the mobile dental service, visit www.rmhc-um.org. Along with cash donations, the wish list also includes quality tooth brushes of all sizes, small tubes of toothpaste, dental floss and non-latex gloves.

For more information about the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile contact Director Gretchen Ambrosier at 612-767-2790 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .


Mandy Moran Froemming is at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it