Vanessa Draper, RDH

St. Louis County Department of Public Health

Florissant, Missouri

Ms. Vanessa Draper is a Registered Dental Hygienist, currently practicing at St. Louis County Department of Public Health. Ms. Draper has practiced dental hygiene for over 25 years, in multiple dental settings. Upon graduating from Forest Park Community College, earning an Associate of Applied Science Degree, she entered private general dental practice.  Her experience expanded to periodontal practice, where she was afforded the opportunity and challenge to participate in the Jamaica Dental Mission Trip, founded by Dr. Dwight E. McLeod. The dental mission trips Ms. Draper attended, proved to be a major catalyst in her pursuit to participate in public health service.

Currently, Ms. Draper’s service in public health is clinically based, with previous experience in public school preventive and educational programs. Ms. Draper is committed to caring for the underserved populations .She has participated in the Preventive Service Program (PSP), a program which provides fluoride varnish treatments and dental screenings to children in participating school districts. The program is administered by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. She has provided clinical dental hygiene services to school age children as well as dental health education within a classroom setting to school districts in St. Louis County.

Ms. Draper’s passion for preventive care, oral health literacy and the inter-relationship between oral health and systemic health has been her ongoing focus. 

In December 2020, Ms. Draper was nominated and elected as a board member of Missouri Coalition for Oral Health, an honor, which aligns with her dedication of service and her to diligence to promoting oral health literacy and access to oral healthcare for all Missourians.