Dr. Gardner to spearhead new restorative care services in second mobile dental bus

Children’s Volunteer Health Network (CVHN), welcomes Dr. Paula Gardner as the new restorative dental provider. Along with this new addition to the team, CVHN is expanding their oral health care reach with the addition of a second mobile dental bus. This will allow their mobile dental team to provide preventative and long term dental solutions to children without access to dental care or insurance coverage.

“We are very blessed to have Dr. Paula Gardner join our team to lead our restorative dentistry effort. She brings a wealth of experience treating at risk kids and has a heart to serve,” said Kelley Mossburg, Executive Director. “We knew immediately when we met Dr. Gardner that she was the right person for CVHN. With the addition of our new Mobile dental clinic,which will be outfitted to treat kids with emergent dental issues, we will be able to magnify our impact here in Walton and Okaloosa counties.”

After completing the Dental Assisting program at Gulf Coast Community College, Dr. Gardner attended the University of the Pacific Dental School in San Francisco. She went on to practice 23 years in general dentistry with 17 of those years in her own private practice in Sonoma County, CA. Her passion for providing oral health care to underserved children grew through her involvement in the last six years spent in Community Health Centers in both California and Hawaii.

“I am excited to begin this next chapter of my life with Children’s Volunteer Health Network. This organization not only provides a deep impact to the Emerald Coast, but it also shares my passion for faith based mission,” said Dr. Gardner. “Being able to provide care and a positive dental experience has continued to fuel my desire to help children growing up in conditions out of their control.”

The new addition of Dr. Gardner and the second bus will allow CVHN to expand their services into restorative care. In addition to maintaining annual and preventative dental visits, this allows the repair or restoration of damaged dental structures with procedures such as fillings, crowns and more. In the interim as CVHN awaits the second bus, Dr. Gardner will see children on the current bus with limited emergency non-aerosol generating procedures to eliminate pain and swelling. The second bus is currently in the design process and is expected to begin serving Okaloosa and Walton county schools in 2022. ####

ABOUT CHILDREN’S VOLUNTEER HEALTH NETWORK

Children’s Volunteer Health Network, Inc. is a faith-based 501(c)(3) organization established in 2005 to improve the health and well-being of children in Walton and Okaloosa Counties. The mission of CVHN is to eliminate the barriers to accessible and affordable healthcare for children in need through mobile solutions and community partnerships. CVHN strives to fulfill this mission by providing comprehensive dental health care services through their Mobile Dental Clinic, serving local elementary schools as well as other community partners. All children enrolled in school in Walton and Okaloosa Counties and are on the free or reduced lunch programs are qualified to receive services from CVHN. As of 2021, CVHN facilitated over 75,000 procedures for children in the local community with more than $6 million in free dental health services provided so far. In 2022, CVHN will be adding a second Mobile Dental Clinic to provide restorative dental services, as well as establishing programs to provide mental wellness services. For more information, visit cvhnkids.org or call 850-622-3200. Please follow CVHN on Facebook and Instagram for updates on programs and events.

Children’s Volunteer Health Network welcomes new dentist, Dr. Paula Gardner, DDS