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DENTAL VAN COMING SATURDAY Making a difference AHS senior project aims to provide dental care for those who can't afford it Comment By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune Posted May. 6, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune Posted May. 6, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News For his Ashland High School senior project, Ethan Jones wants to change Ashland one sore tooth at a time. Before Jones and his family moved here four years ago, they lived in Brookings, where four days a year local dentists donate their time and expertise to the community via a dental van — think food truck, except instead of burritos and Philly cheesesteaks, the dentists inside provide free dental care to those “with financial need.” When it came time for Jones to decide what to do for his senior project, his dad, Dr. Charles Jones of Jones Family Dental, mentioned the Brookings dental vans. Ethan Jones took it from there. “I just decided that it would be a good thing to bring to Ashland,” he said. The dental van, provided by Medical Teams International, will be stationed in the Ashland Emergency Food Bank parking lot at 560 Clover Lane from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 7. Dr. Jones will be there to do the work, as will a hygienist and another assistant. Ethan Jones, who will be on hand to help people fill out forms and get in line, said the van will be able to handle “basic procedures,” such as fillings and extractions. And, while the service is intended to help those who otherwise could not afford such care, he said customers will not be required to provide paperwork to prove financial hardship. “There’s really no way to do that,” he said. “I was actually just talking to … a guy at Medical Teams International, and he was just saying that we just have to take their word on it. There’s not really a way to screen people for financial need.” Jones, who is planning on attending both Portland State University and Portland Community College next fall, said he’s still waiting for more people who are planning on taking advantage of the service to call him in order to set up an appointment. Those interested are encouraged to call him at 541-661-5823. “I’m setting it up so there are two main groups, one in the morning and one in the afternoon,” he said. “We’re trying to get as many people as possible.” To get the word out, Jones has put up fliers around town, including the Ashland library, the Ashland Food Co-op and throughout the Plaza. The fliers include his number, but as of Tuesday he had only received a few calls, and most of those were asking whether the van could provide dentures (it can’t). “We can’t help people who want big procedures like that,” he said. “I need a bunch more people to make it work.” In the best case scenario, he said, 16 or 17 patients will call to set up appointments — that’s about the maximum they can serve in that time span. Jones estimates he’s put about eight hours of work into the project, making phone calls, emailing, meeting people and making fliers. He also has to write a one-page paper summarizing what he’s done. Saturday will not mark the culmination of Jones' project. His ultimate goal is to ensure this year’s dental van is only the first of many in Ashland. Next week, he’ll be meeting with representatives from the Ashland Community Resource Center in order to help the local nonprofit make dental vans an annual tradition in Ashland. “So next Thursday, I’m meeting with them and walking them through it, the process and what needs to be done, and connecting them with Medical Teams International,” he said. “That was the main goal of this, to bring this to Ashland and to keep it self-sustaining. “That would be awesome. I’d feel really good about that, making a difference.” Joe Zavala is a reporter for the Ashland Daily Tidings. Reach him at 541-821-0829 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @Joe_Zavala99. By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune Posted May. 6, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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