Henry Schein Inc, Melville, NY, joined Northwell Health to announce that more than 200 children fighting cancer have received oral health treatment during the past 2 years through the Henry Schein Oral Health Navigator Program, an initiative designed to help young patients avoid oral health-related complications during cancer treatment.
The program is located at the New Hyde Park, NY-based Cohen Children’s Medical Center, a provider of pediatric oncology care and part of the Northwell system.
The program is supported by the Henry Schein Cares Foundation, which is donating $90,000 over the course of 3 years to help fund the position of an “Oral Health Navigator,” a dedicated Patient Service Assistant to help young patients fighting cancer create a plan to improve their oral health. Poor oral healthcare can complicate and even delay the provision of cancer treatment. To avoid the outcome, the Oral Health Navigator facilitates a plan to achieve optimal oral health for each patient by working closely with hematologists, oncologists, and dentists through diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment.
Since the program’s inception in March 2015, in-clinic treatments have included the removal of orthodontic appliances, the extraction of primary and permanent teeth, restorative dentistry, endodontic therapy, incision and drainage of abscesses, impressions for retainers, and pain management.
