Tooth B.U.D.D.S addresses basic needs gap with mobile, school-based dental services

By Jude McGee

In 2016, MiQuel McRae, a dental hygienist from Pima County, was at an educational conference in Scottsdale when a speaker noted that Greenlee County had no dentists or hygienists. Greenlee, a rural area and Arizona’s least populous county, is located in the southeast part of the state. “I looked around and thought, I’m probably the only person here who knows where that is,” said McRae. She decided to help bridge the gap and subsequently formed Tooth B.U.D.D.S. (Bringing Understanding of Dental Disease to Schools). 

Presently, Tooth B.U.D.D.S. is a mobile, school-based dental-hygiene program that brings free preventative dental care to youth in Greenlee, Graham, and Maricopa counties, including screenings, cleanings, fluoride, sealants, and Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF), a non-invasive liquid used to halt the progression of a cavity immediately. Every year, the organization visits 14 schools in Greenlee and Graham, and 10 schools in Maricopa. 

“It’s so much more than public health,” McRae said. “The mouth is the gateway to the body. We’re finding children with gangrene, diabetes, and other diseases that they aren’t aware of.” 

Residents in Greenlee often struggle with access to care. A 2025 study by the University of Arizona found that 75-100% of its population lives in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), lacking proper access to primary care, dental, or mental health providers and services. The same study showed that statewide, Arizona meets only 34.48% of its dental health needs. A study by the Arizona Department of Health Services found that 55.6% of Greenlee’s kindergartners had untreated tooth decay. Tooth B.U.D.D.S. efficiently delivers equipment to schools and provides basic services at no charge. 

Following an examination at school, children receive a referral form listing dentists in the immediate area. The organization ensures that all referred dentists are Medicaid-approved. If urgent care is necessary, hygienists will notify the organization’s affiliate dentists, who will contact families. 

Tooth B.U.D.D.S. has impacted over 13,000 children since its birth in 2016, placing over 20,000 sealants and SDF on 7,600 teeth with active decay, but the individual impact illustrates the nonprofit’s true service to the community. This past January, an educator wrote a letter to the organization, detailing the following experience:

“I have been involved with Education for the past 25 years.  It wasn't until Tooth B.U.D.D.S. came into my school a few years ago that I looked into the benefits oral health had for my student population.

“One particular student case was a first-grade boy who was struggling academically and qualified in the below-level category. We had been tirelessly trying all the ‘best practices’ since kindergarten and were having little success. Tooth B.U.D.D.S. came to do their routine cleanings and checks and found that he had extensive oral damage. It was serious enough for this student to see a specialist in Tucson and have dental surgery. He had not had access to dental care previously; therefore, early detection was not an option. 

“It was no wonder that this student could not concentrate on academics. The distraction due to the chronic pain must have been horrible. Research proves that concentration and memory retention are reduced anytime health is not at its optimum. Once this student recovered, we started seeing improvements academically.”

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For more information, visit https://toothbudds.org/ 

Image courtesy of Tooth B.U.D.D.S.