Caledonia Argus

Dental clinics serve low income families

Posted: 8/20/02

by Jane Palen
Managing editor

Three dental clinics held for children from low income families this summer were successful, and the clinics will continue for at least two more years, thanks to a $100,000 grant recently awarded to the project. The clinics are a cooperative effort of Fillmore, Houston and Winona Counties.

Linda Grupa, Public Health Nursing Director, informed county commissioners at their August 13 meeting that Darla Zahn, oral health specialist, wrote the grant, which will fund the program over the next two years. The current grant ends December 31 of this year.

There has been a good response to the three dental clinics held this summer. There were 25 patients seen at a clinic held July 27 in Lewiston. The clinic was held at the office of Dr. Michael Flynn in Lewiston, who serves as adjunct faculty, and staffed by students from the University of Minnesota Dental School.

ìWe received lots of positive comments,î Zahn said.

Nine of the patients needed follow-up treatment, and those patients were scheduled to be seen at the third and fourth clinics held August 16 and 17.

A total of 63 patients were seen at the August clinics. Dr. John Evenson of the Evenson Dental Clinic, Houston, Dr. Stacy Johanson of The Family Dental Center, Caledonia, and Dr. Flynn served as adjunct faculty for those clinics.

The services offered at the clinic include restorative care, preventative treatment and x-rays. The services provided at the July 27 clinic, if charged at the regular fee schedule, would be worth $4,873. Through the current dental health grant, the county was reimbursed $3,483. Out of that amount, the county paid mileage for the students and supplies. The students are from the University of Minnesota dental school and are volunteers. They get college credit or payment for their work, explained Zahn.

ìThey do it out of the goodness of their hearts,î she said. ìWe are very fortunate to get students down here regularly.î

Oral health is becoming a public health issue because more and more low-income families are finding it difficult to afford dental care, explained PHN Director Linda Grupa. The reimbursement from Medical Assistance is only 44 cents on the dollar for dental services. Local dentists have been supportive, but many of them have reached their capacity for MA clients and canít, from a business standpoint, afford to take more.

The patients seen at the public clinics are generally aged 21 and younger, said Zahn. Education and preventative care are emphasized, and the county receives many donations of dental supplies and educational materials from manufacturers. Transportation can be arranged for patients who need it, noted Zahn.

ìI think itís making a difference,î said Zahn in regard to the dental clinics.

In the future, she hopes to be able to arrange clinics in Houston County.

The next clinic will be in October.

For more information, contact the Houston County Public Health department at 725-5810.

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