Community Dental Clinic in Owensboro is entering a partnership with the University of Louisville to grow its mission of serving those who cannot obtain dental care elsewhere.
Board Chair Suzanne Craig said since the clinic began in 2009, they have looked to serve as many of those who are on Medicaid as possible, noting that many dental clinics do not accept that insurance.
“Since that time, we’ve served 25,000 people, and we realize that the need is so much greater than what we can do right now,” Craig said.
The partnership with UofL is a way to expand the clinic’s mission to serve more patients. Craig said they receive 200 calls daily, but they can’t help everyone as quickly as they wish due to the few resources.
Under the partnership, the University of Louisville is assuming operational clinic management. The Community Dental Clinic board of directors will remain active in its work to identify dental gaps and resources in the community and provide maintenance to the clinic.
Craig said Kentucky has the 2nd-lowest number of dental visits in the country — with only 57.2% of adults visiting the dentist within the last year, according to the United Health Foundation.
“So in our state, dental pain is a serious problem. The number one reason cited for missed school days for children was dental pain. This is a serious problem, and it’s more than just one clinic can handle,” Craig said. “However, with the manpower and the expertise and the support of UofL, this partnership, we feel like, will be a true asset to our community for years to come.”
Craig is hopeful the university’s students coming in January for their first assignments will develop a passion for helping those who don’t have anywhere else to go for dental care.
“I hope for them to understand that by helping these individuals, they’re helping them to go to work. They’re helping them to show up differently in their families because they’re not in dental pain. They’re helping kids go to school. They’re helping kids smile in school pictures and go to prom,” Craig said.
Due to the calls that come in, Craig said they have considered opening a second clinic, which was originally not feasible given their small staff. However, with the new partnership, she thinks that it could now be a possibility.
