MIDLAND, Mich. (WNEM) – The Great Lakes Bay Health Centers’ (GLBHC) dental team is hitting the road as it reveals its newest addition: a state-of-the-art dental bus.
The bus will join a fleet of five dental buses that serve Michigan residents in more than 12 counties.
GLBHC received a $200,000 grant from the Delta Dental Foundation (DDF) for the new bus.
“Without our mobile dental program, many children would go without needed dental services and treatment,” said Paul Crowley, chief dental officer, GLBHC. “We are so grateful to our community partners that have helped us provide dental services to so many children over the years, and we look forward to continuing to serve them in the future.”
The bus, a 39-foot-long rolling dental office with three operatories, is part of GLBHC’s Smiles are Everywhere program, the largest mobile dental service in Michigan, according to GLBHC.
Smiles are Everywhere, which has been in operation since 1997, brings care directly to children where they learn, allowing students to stay in the classroom, helping parents and caregivers with the challenge of taking time off or arranging transportation for routine appointments, according to GLBHC. Smiles are Everywhere also provides dental assessments in Saginaw, Midland, Lapeer and Huron county school districts under the Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment Program.
During the 2024-25 school year, more than 6,000 students at 200 schools have received care onboard a GLBHC dental bus, according to GLBHC.
When school isn’t in session, the GLBHC buses travel throughout lower Michigan to provide dental care to agricultural workers and their families along with people living in senior housing and shelters, according to GLBHC.
According to GLBHC, the DDF has been a key investor in these services. In the fall of 2025, the DDF approved a $150,000 grant to support the purchase of another dental bus that will hit the roads in the future. In total, the DDF has granted more than $650,000 to GLBHC since 2018.
“Every mile this bus travels represents a child who won’t miss class, a parent who won’t have to take time off work and a community gaining access to the care they need—with fewer barriers,” said Holli Seabury, EdD, executive director of the DDF.
The new bus was also funded by contributions from the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, the Carls Foundation and the Russel H. and Maxine E. Smith Foundation.
For more information about GLBHC and to find a health center near you, click here.
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