he biggest barrier to oral health, also referred to as the silent epidemic, is access to care due to limited income, lack of insurance, not enough dentists, and unreliable transportation. “Studies mention that complications over dental access worsens coronary disease, makes diabetes worse, and increases the risk of lung disease,” said Charles Sawyer, MD, at Valley Regional Hospital in Claremont.

Realizing there was an unmet need in the community, a group of concerned leaders formed a nonprofit organization called Community Dental Care of Claremont (CDCC) to help address the lack of access to affordable dental care across all economic backgrounds. CDFA, through CDBG Public Facility & Tax Credit Programs, granted $600,000 to renovate commercial space and to purchase dental equipment, residents will have access to both preventative and restorative dental care.

In the first year of operation, the goal is to serve 800 Sullivan County patients, of which 70% will be of low to moderate income. According to the Project Manager, Kyle Messier, “The project came together because there is a need for dentistry across all economic and age groups. There hasn't been a new dentist in this region for ten years and many dentists will be retiring from this area in the next ten years. There is a great need for access across the board.”

People like Mark and Katrina, future patients of the clinic and residents of Claremont, are suffering due to lack of dentists who are accepting new patients, especially those who are uninsured, underinsured, or on Medicaid. Mark said, “It [having dental pain] affects you physically, mentally, the whole works. As far as going out in the public, it causes anxieties, you don't like to be around people, and you aren't going to be smiling. When you do see someone and they give you a big smile that's the first thing you see and then I go, what do they see in me?”

Katrina, a mother of a two and a half year old child, is in pain due to her wisdom teeth. “It hurts so bad in the back of my jaw. I have a little girl who is 32 pounds and when I pick her up it hurts tremendously. You can't get what you need in the current climate here because I have no insurance. My daughter is disabled, so pretty much everything I have goes to her.”

Both Mark and Katrina have been to Emergency Rooms at various hospitals in order to get pain relief. According to Claire Bowen, President of Valley Regional Hospital and on the Board of Directors of the CDCC, “Even people who are insured with dental insurance are having a difficult time finding a dentist. If the parents aren't taking care of their teeth, their kids aren't either. We are hoping to have a positive impact on the families as well.”

Claire Bowen, President of Valley Regional Hospital points out, “On a daily basis, we see about 11 percent of people in the emergency room with dental issues…We are particularly interested in helping out families who do not have the means, but who work hard and really want to take care of their teeth.”

Project Facts:

Total amount of CDFA grant	$600,000
Project scope	To serve 800 Sullivan County residents
Project goal	Provide dental care access, particularly for low- to- moderate-income people
Total Project Cost	$1.1 million
CDFA Funding Source – Tax Credit & CDBG Public Facility Programs