Desperately Seeking Dental Care (Continued)

Print Email Share

Free Dental Care Events

Dentistry From the Heart (DFTH) — www.dentistryfromtheheart.org — is a national nonprofit organization where dentists across the country volunteer to host DFTH one-day events at their offices to provide free dental care. Use the website to locate dental events in your area or reach out using the “contact us” form on the website. If you need extensive treatment try The SmileFaith Foundation (www.smilefaith.com). This nonprofit organization helps people in the Tampa Bay area, and throughout Florida, Texas, and California. A family member or friend can nominate you for services by submitting the nomination form online at the SmileFaith website. Lastly, charities like Mission of Mercy (www.amissionofmercy.org) and Free Medical Camps (www.freemedicalcamps.com) provide crisis care in certain states.

Dental Universities

“University-based dental and hygiene schools, as well as hospital-based dental clinics often serve as a safety net for patients seeking dental care,” says Ryan. They are more likely to accept Medicaid, work with multiple insurance plans, or help patients without insurance to work out a payment plan. You can also try contacting local dental societies to see if there are any local dentists or private dental clinics in your community that are willing to help those in need. Dental research studies are another option. In the end, however, people want to believe that there is a safety net that catches everyone who cannot afford care, but unfortunately this does not exist. “This is why we begin to see cases where there is increased morbidity and mortality which was much more common decades ago,” Ryan explains.

Discount dental cards (Google – “discount dental cards”) or a healthcare finance company like CareCredit® (www.carecredit.com/dentistry) might be an option if you can find participating dentists in your area that accept new patients. You will need to read the website information carefully to fully understand the discounts, out-of-pocket expenses, and any fees and interest rates that apply. “In a perfect world, oral health services would be integrated with diabetes care,” says Edelstein. All the necessary services would be arranged together in a patient-centric systems approach. Diabetes services would include other specialists such as dentistry, podiatry, retinal, and prosthetic services, which would increase communication among specialists, maximize efficiency, and improve quality of care. “This is what is envisioned by the Affordable Care Act,” Edelstein explains, and would eliminate the need for patients to pursue multiple health providers to meet their needs.

Jacqueline M. Duda is a freelance health writer based in the Washington, D.C. area.

Additional Resources

1. Aetna Dental:
   http://www.aetna.com/plans-services-health-insurance/overview/dental-insurance/diabetes-oral.html


2. Aetna InteliHealth:
   http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/408/408.html


3. Affordable Care Act:
   http://www.healthcare.gov/law/introduction/index.html


4. American Dental Association - Dental Schools:
   http://www.ada.org/267.aspx


5. American Dental Hygienists’ Association – Dental Hygiene Schools:
   http://www.adha.org/careerinfo/dir_education.htm


6. Clinical trials at the National Institute of Health Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIHDCR) at the National Institutes of Health:
   http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/clinicaltrials/


7. Finding Low Cost Dental Care – NIHDCR:
   http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/oralhealth/popularpublications/findinglowcostdentalcare/


8. Health Plans Extend Dental Benefits
   http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06263/723128-114.stm


9. Information for Dentists/Providers:
   https://www.aetnadental.com/AD/ihtAD/r.WSIHW000/st.35410/t.35410.html

Reviewed by Susan Weiner, RD, MS, CDE, CDN. 05/12.

PREVIOUS: Finding affordable dental care