oUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Some older adults residing in long term care facilities suffer from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Almost all of our older adult patients have their natural teeth, but because of memory loss, nervous system failure and lack of motor function do not have regular brushing habits. Studies have shown that many older adults living in nursing homes pass away each year due to oral bacteria aspirated into their lungs causing pneumonia while laying in bed for long periods of time.  

Small children of homeless parents do not have access to good oral care due to their living situation. Some children live in shelters and others in the family car. Daily brushing habits are not achievable without running water or a private sink to store a toothbrush. We are welcomed at the mom and baby shelters on weekends to provide on-site preventative dental care where they are most comfortable. Being able to provide our services on weekends ensures that parents will not fall financially behind by missing work for family dental check ups.

Our homeless male patients inside the shelters are hard working men that can't make ends meet to pay for housing. Many have become homeless after suffering an injury at work with no medical insurance, a single income family that suddenly experiences job loss, divorce, child support payments, release from prison with no where else to turn, or a drug addiction that started from an injury medicated with opioids.

Some of the pregnant teens we treat have been abandoned by their parents or have escaped an abusive living situation. Luckily, most have made it into secure housing for teen moms that provide GED services, teach life skills, and welcome our dental services on a regular basis. There is a major link between gingivitis and low birth weight preterm babies. There is also a high rate of baby bottle tooth decay. A young mother not knowing better, gives her baby sugary juices or milk at bedtime causing baby bottle rot. Many of these cases involve the child needing a referral to a pediatric dentist/ anesthesiologist with hospital privileges to repair the dental infection. 

Our developmentally disabled patients and their caregivers struggle with compliance and willingness to care for their own teeth. Some patients resist going into a dental office out of fear or stepping out of their comfort zone at home.  We bring preventative dental care into the facility or private home where patients are treated bedside. 

Our patients experiencing spinal cord injuries require home dental visits because of lack of mobility, transportation, and body temperature control. Most of our patients have tracheotomies with ventilators. Due to the fact that they are unable to use their arms and hands for brushing, the oral bacteria builds fast and can be aspirated into their breathing tube causing a severe infection in the lungs.  

We receive many requests for patients on hospice that want one final dental cleaning in their last months or weeks of life. These patients do not have any dental coverage and most do not have funds at this point in their lives to pay for service. They are homebound due to mobility limitations, weakness, full-time oxygen, and a feeding tube. We will treat the patient in their home hospital bed, our dental chair or favorite recliner. 

Did you know that only disabled or retired veterans receive free dental care? Those that have coverage need to travel a great distance to receive dental care at the VA clinic. Many are in wheelchairs, have lost their limbs, and do not have funds to even ride the local bus to the VA clinic. We offer our veterans free dental care in the shelter where they reside to provide true access to care.