(Yankton, SD) – The Yankton Area Foundation has contributed $3,000 to the Horizon Health Foundation, making it possible for Horizon Health Yankton Dental to purchase a pediatric dental sensor to use in taking X-rays of children’s teeth.
The Yankton Area Foundation contributed $3,000 to the purchase of a pediatric sensor for Horizon Health Yankton Dental. Pictured from left: Horizon Health Director of Development Brady L. Kerkman, Ling Haberer, Celyne Digno, Dr. Sophie Bisgard and David Spencer, Vice President of the Yankton Area Foundation.
Pediatric dental sensors offer a safer, faster, and more precise way to diagnose and monitor children’s dental health. Digital sensors use radiation amounts 90% lower than traditional X-ray methods to create images of teeth.
“To be able to assist Horizon Health and their mission of providing affordable, high-quality health care, the Yankton Area Foundation (YAF) is pleased to be able to provide the grant to assist in youth dental care,” said David Spencer, Vice-President of YAF.
Yankton Area Foundation is a local nonprofit corporation providing a reliable source of funds for the purpose of benefiting the social and economic well-being of the community of Yankton and the surrounding area. The Yankton Area Foundation provides a source of grant funding for community needs today and for years to come.
Spencer further added, “To date, the Yankton Area Foundation has given back more than $650,000 to nonprofit groups and organizations in Yankton. We thank so many for making our community a better place to live, work, and play.”
The pediatric dental sensor is smaller than the adult version, increasing comfort during imaging, reducing anxiety and the potential of gagging. They provide instant, high-resolution images that detect potential dental concerns in a timely manner ideally avoiding both expensive and extensive treatment.
“Making this pediatric dental sensor available to our Yankton patients ensures quick, pain-free images that will help us diagnose cavities and dental disease in our youngest patients before the situation becomes dire,” said Michelle Scholtz, DDS, Horizon’s Chief Dental Officer. “We are grateful to the Yankton Area Foundation for making treatment of our pediatric patients easier and more accurate.”
This photo shows the size difference between an adult dental sensor, used to take X-rays of the mouth, and a pediatric dental sensor.
In 2025 Horizon Health Yankton Dental saw 715 patients, 257 of whom were children.