By this time next year, twice as many county kids could have beaming smiles.

St. Joseph Health Ministries is adding a second bright blue Brush Brush Bus mobile dental unit to its fleet.

"We've made considerable inroads with the Brush Brush Bus to address the huge problem of those Lancaster County children who never see a dentist," said Benetta Rapier, chairwoman of St. Joseph's board of directors.

"But there's a lot more work to do because our ultimate goal is to eliminate untreated childhood tooth decay. We're going to be relentless in our efforts, and a second bus is an important part of that."

The 40-foot buses are kid-friendly, with bright colors and comfortable surroundings. At the same time, they're modern dental offices on wheels, where everything from cleanings to extractions to root canals can be performed by the full-time dental team, which includes a dentist, hygienist and two assistants.

Since 2004, the first Brush Brush Bus has provided nearly $2 million in free dental work and oral health education to 9,000-plus kids across the county who might otherwise have trouble getting it.

"Oral health is one of those issues with children that's closely tied to household income," said Ann Goropoulos, vice president of operations and development for St. Joseph.

"Dental care is very expensive when you're balancing putting a roof over heads and putting food on the table. Sometimes that means it will only be taken care of when it hurts."

The second brush bus will have the same mission as the first, visiting schools in the county's 16 districts where the number of low-income students is highest. In summer, the buses will visit community organizations where kids gather, such as camps for economically disadvantaged children and homeless shelters.

Goropoulos said the program aims to get kids' dental health up to par during initial free visits to the Brush Brush Bus. But the program also tries to teach kids and their parents the importance of adopting good dental health habits, including six-month follow-up visits to participating dentists willing to accept lower fees for service.

Less than a year into tracking that follow-up care, it appears the message is being received.

"So far, yes, we're showing they're improving and we're making a difference," Goropoulos said.

Goropoulos said parents in lower-income brackets often depend on public transportation to get around. And many struggle to get time off work to take kids to dental appointments.

Such kids often never see a dentist until an emergency arises. Then, with few options, parents often end up taking kids to the hospital emergency department, where the only treatment may be a drastic one, such as extraction.

When mobile dental care comes to schools, parents don't even have to be there for their kids to get top-notch care. They just have to sign a consent form sent home by the school.

The new Brush Brush Bus will be on the road when school opens in the fall. The cost of the new bus and all the free care kids receive in it is footed by St. Joseph Health Ministries, which formed about seven years ago after the former St. Joseph Hospital was sold. The organization covers costs through fundraising events, grants and other means.

Goropoulos said even before construction on the second Brush Brush Bus is finished, it's booked.

"One discouraging things is that the minute we open the doors with the second bus, we're already at capacity because there's such a great need."

E-mail: slindt@lnpnews.com