401 Frederica Street, B-203
Owensboro, Kentucky 42301
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Pages

1
- Background
2
- Option 1: Rely on dentists in private practices
3
- Option 2: Create a new clinic or expand existing ones
4
- Option 3: Advocate for reimbursement increases
5
- Option 4: Focus on prevention
6
- Discussion Questions / Dental Data
7
- For More Information / To Get Involved / Share Your Views / Sources

Dental care for disadvantaged youth

Local options for expanded services

by Rodney Berry

Community Options: Expanding Dental Care for Disadvantaged Youth

2. Create a new clinic or expand existing ones

If private dental practices cannot or will not absorb more charity care, our community should increase the capacity of the Christian Dental Mission, add a dental care dimension to an existing medical clinic, or develop programs using dental student residents from the University of Kentucky or University of Louisville.

Those who support this option may say

Those who oppose this option may say

Given the obvious community need, the cost of equipping and operating a dental clinic is justified.
Providing care through a clinic is much less expensive than the hospital emergency room.
A dental clinic is within reach: OMHS could fund a dental clinic from its reserves or funds proposed for entrepreneurial ventures and, at the same time, reduce its emergency room costs; Catholic Health Partners could fund (and possibly endow) a dental clinic from the funds it received when its hospital partnership interest was purchased.
Health department officials could provide space for the dental clinic in the new Daviess County Health Center.
A clinic does not preclude dentists from volunteering.

No health care or community institution has offered to fund the equipment, supplies, staff, operating costs and medications needed for a dental clinic.
Officials are unlikely to approve a health tax increase for this purpose.
If we establish or expand a clinic to include dental care, people from throughout the region will come to Owensboro for free care.
A clinic would likely also accept paying and insured patients that would take business away from private dental practices.
The role of the health department is community education, public health inspections, preparedness for epidemics, etc. The health department should not be in the business of providing direct care to patients.

Costs

Start-up and operating costs will vary based on whether equipment and furnishings are donated, staff members are paid or volunteer, space is donated or leased, hours of operation are full-time or part-time. Costs could be minimal or several hundred thousand dollars annually. Moreover, costs would likely increase by 15 percent to 30 percent or more annually.

Consequences

A community dental clinic would serve a substantial number of patients who need dental care but are unable to pay, particularly if evening and weekend hours can be offered.

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