Oral health professionals offer free services
ASHTON ELEY
aeley@nwadg.com
Many people say they have a fear of going to the dentist, but Terri Quinn had a big grin on her face as she stood in line outside WelcomeHealth the morning of June 16.
Quinn said she has been in severe pain originating in two of her molars for more than a year, but her insurance doesn’t cover dental care.
She moved to Fayetteville recently from Texas, decided to search “free dental clinic” online and was excited to find NWA Dental Day, she said.
June 16 marked the third NWA Dental Day and the first in Fayetteville, all hosted by NWA Dental Collaborative. About 60 volunteers, almost all dentists and oral health care professionals, worked from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on more than 200 adult extractions and pediatric screenings.
“Dental care is a huge unmet need in Northwest Arkansas and nationally,” said Jill Self-Pike, dentist at Samaritan Community Center in Rogers. “It’s expensive, which means it really is a luxury for many.”
It’s a problem, Self-Pike and others said, because many medical care options available to low-income patients do not include dental care. Therefore, many low-income Arkansans cannot get affordable dental care and only seek help in a dental emergency.
It can cost more than $100 for a standard checkup and cleaning without insurance coverage, and visits that include teeth extractions can run someone $400 to $500, said Amy Gephart, Samaritan clinic coordinator.
NWA Democrat-Gazette/CHARLIE KAIJO Dr. Daniel Fish (from right) examines the teeth of Brian Terrel Palmer of Rogers (center) as Stephanie Stark, RDA, assists, Saturday, June 16, 2018 at Welcome Health in Fayetteville.
The NWA Dental Collaborative hosted the NWA Dental Day for adult extractions and pediatric screenings. The group is a collaborative between Welcome Health, Washington Regional Hospital, Samaritan Dental Clinic, HARK and private practice dentists, who all volunteered their time to provide dental service to the community. Over 100 patients arrived Saturday for the free service.
“They have limited access and no way to pay, something like this fills the gap. Dental disease is preventable and curable. We try to treat the people who have the disease and try to do preventative health care with fluoride varnish,” said Weldon Johnson, the executive director of the Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation, a major financial contributor for the collaborative.
He added that the collaborative also sees these service days as an opportunity for multi-generational education on dental health for both children and parents.
The service is popular, and the Samaritan Dental Clinic on average has to turn down 25 people a day, said Jill Self-Pike DMD from Samaritan Dental Clinic in Rogers. But she hopes the day’s event can raise awareness to the community to get more private practice dentists involved and excited.
“We√¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re the end of the road for most people because they don√¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t have money or resources,” she said. “If they have to make a choice between feeding their kids and dental extraction, they feed their kids. Dental care is a big luxury and most people don√¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t have the money to afford it.”
NWA Democrat-Gazette/CHARLIE KAIJO Dr. Daniel Fish examines the teeth of Kayse Cartwright of Springdale, Saturday, June 16, 2018 at Welcome Health in Fayetteville.
The NWA Dental Collaborative hosted the NWA Dental Day for adult extractions and pediatric screenings. The group is a collaborative between Welcome Health, Washington Regional Hospital, Samaritan Dental Clinic, HARK and private practice dentists, who all volunteered their time to provide dental service to the community. Over 100 patients arrived Saturday for the free service.
“They have limited access and no way to pay, something like this fills the gap. Dental disease is preventable and curable. We try to treat the people who have the disease and try to do preventative health care with fluoride varnish,” said Weldon Johnson, the executive director of the Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation, a major financial contributor for the collaborative.
He added that the collaborative also sees these service days as an opportunity for multi-generational education on dental health for both children and parents.
The service is popular, and the Samaritan Dental Clinic on average has to turn down 25 people a day, said Jill Self-Pike DMD from Samaritan Dental Clinic in Rogers. But she hopes the day’s event can raise awareness to the community to get more private practice dentists involved and excited.
“We√¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re the end of the road for most people because they don√¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t have money or resources,” she said. “If they have to make a choice between feeding their kids and dental extraction, they feed their kids. Dental care is a big luxury and most people don√¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t have the money to afford it.”
About 90 percent of WelcomeHealth’s patients have not consistently seen a dentist for checkups, according to its website.
Almost 50 percent of patients at the last NWA Dental Day in Centerton reported having gone to the emergency room in the previous year because of oral pain, said Ayoola Carleton, HARK director of community partnerships.
“We need the community and policymakers to know that dental care is truly a need that needs to be addressed, because it is a part of full physical health. Your mouth is not a separate entity from the rest of your body,” Carleton said. “We are here to raise awareness of the need for it.”
NWA Dental Collaborative’s long-term goal is for everyone to have access to care regardless of income level or socio-economic status, Carleton said.
“With things currently as they are, policy is not set up and structured in that manner to give equitable access,” she said.
Patients arrived as early as 6 a.m. to get in line for the free services. NWA Dental Day also included free health food, drinks and prizes, along with kid- friendly activities.
Dentist Trent McCord was the first private practitioner who opened his Centerton office for NWA Dental Day and volunteered Saturday.
“If you are hurting all day, every day … we see people who are really desperate. There’s people out there that really need this,” McCord said. “People want to help, but it’s just difficult to organize something like this. So it takes teamwork. Pulling teeth is the easy part.”
Partners and sponsors for the event included WelcomeHealth, Samaritan Dental, America’s Tooth Fairy, Washington Regional Medical Center Mobile Unit, HARK, Delta Dental, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and Ronald McDonald Mobile Unit. Other Northwest Arkansas businesses donated food and drinks.
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WelcomeHealth Services
WelcomeHealth provides care for teeth and gums. Pediatric dental services include regular services, with an emphasis on dental hygiene education and fluoride treatments and sealants to protect teeth.
Dental services it offers are:
• Comprehensive oral and dental exams
• Dental emergency exams
(limited availability to current dental patients only)*
• Dentures (with limited referrals)
• Extractions
• Flouride treatments
• Hygiene cleanings
• Restorative fillings
• Sealants
• X-rays
* Only available Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.
They do not offer crowns, root canals, bridges or porcelain veneers.
Source: www.welcomehealthnwa.org
