By Jo Mathis
Christopher Loman, who lost both his job and his apartment in Battle Creek in the past six months, has suffered dental problems most of his adult life.
“I’ve made a lot of bad choices in my life, some of which have also affected my health,” said Loman, 37, who has no health insurance, and hasn’t been able to get on Medicaid.
Back in December, writhing in pain from three abscessed teeth and with no money to see a dentist, Loman went to the Nursing Clinic of Battle Creek, where he was immediately enrolled in a pay-it-forward dental program.
That day, he was able to see a dentist, who pulled the abscessed teeth.
Finally out of pain, Loman happily paid for the dental work by performing community service.
“It’s great that they have a program for people without insurance,” said Loman. “Too bad medical doctors don’t do something like that.”
The Calhoun County Community Dental Access Initiative’s Dentists’ Partnership was formed three years ago when a group of community leaders met to discuss the fact that about 4,700 Calhoun County residents – most uninsured – lived at or below the poverty level and could need urgent dental services at any time.
A “comprehensive dental safety net” was formed among local dentists, funders, hospitals, free clinics, the Calhoun Health Plan, the Kellogg Community College Dental Hygiene School, and Federally-Qualified Health Centers.
The 35 dentists in the program donate dental services such as cleanings, fillings, extractions, x-rays, dental supplies, and in some cases, other specialized services. In return, the patients must first volunteer in the community four hours for every $100 of treatment. (In emergencies such as Loman’s, they may volunteer after the work is performed.)
“The Dentists’ Partnership is remarkable because its success is due to the contributions of hundreds of people,” said Samantha A. Pearl, executive director of Community HealthCare Connections.
“From dentists and their staff providing service, to community organizations like ours coordinating efforts, to local funders providing financial support, to community nonprofits working with dental volunteers, to volunteer hygienists providing oral health education, to the local volunteer center coordinating opportunities, to the volunteers themselves doing the work, everyone is contributing what they are uniquely qualified to give.”
Patients qualify if they have no dental insurance, live in Calhoun County, and make less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
About 60 percent of the practicing dentists in the county participate in the program, which is administered by Community HealthCare Connections, with financial support largely from Battle Creek Health System, United Way and Battle Creek Community Foundation.
If you’re booking a dental appointment with DeRose Family Dentistry of Battle Creek, forget about 11 a.m. Tuesday.
That’s the hour every week Dr. Joe DeRose reserves for the next two Dentists’ Partnership patients. He’ll see one emergency case, and perform one surgical procedure, usually an extraction.
“It’s the whole pay-it-forward thing, with everybody benefiting,” said DeRose. “It’s good for me because it’s very fulfilling. It’s good for the community because the community needs people to help out. And I think it gives a sense of well being to everybody.”
In the Dentists’ Partnership’s first two-and-a-half years, 35 dentists have provided 2,389 donated treatment visits to 1,482 patients. Those patients have in turn donated 12,356 hours of community volunteer service at 60 different nonprofit organizations.
The program is so successful, the Michigan Dental Association plans to tout it as a “best practice” while suggesting it to other counties, said MDA spokesperson Tom Kochheiser.
“It’s really a win-win,” he said.
Kochheiser praised the educational component that requires patients to attend an oral health education class and receive one-on-one training with a dental hygienist, both of which are intended to reduce the need for future emergency care.
“It was too late for me because I don’t have any teeth left,” said Loman, when asked if the class was helpful. “It would have helped — if I’d been to a class a few years ago.”
Although the low-income population tends to have a fairly high no-show rate, often due to child care and transportation issues, just 2.7 percent of the patients fail to show up for their appointments, Kochheiser said. That compares to 20 percent among commercially insured patients.
“A lot of these people have been in pain for a very long time,” said DeRose. “They don’t go to the dentist. They go to the emergency room. These are repeat visitors to the emergency room for the same abscessed tooth, and they’re not getting the tooth out, so the problem occurs every two to three months. They’ll get antibiotics and painkillers, and the infection is cleared up for a while until it flares up because they’re not getting the source of the infection. (Emergency rooms) don’t have the equipment to x-ray or take the tooth out. That’s where we come in.”
The Battle Creek Health System has reported a 65.8 percent reduction in the use of its emergency room for dental pain and jaw disease since the Partnership began.
Patients are very appreciative, DeRose said, adding that although many are nervous when they walk in, they’re relieved once the aching tooth is extracted.
One of the first dentists to sign up for the program three years ago, DeRose said the program fills a need he has to give back.
“Quite frankly,” he said, “this is a lot easier for me than digging ditches or cleaning up highways.”
2 Comments
What a great story! It restores the patient’s pride & self-worth and helps the local communities that are budget-deficit. The Dentists…HEROES!!!
Wow, this is great. We could really use something like this in all of our cities. As a family physician working urgent care, we see a lot of dental problems because people have no where else to turn.