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Sevierville Clinic Offers Reduced Cost Dental Care
July 20, 2007
By ERICA ESTEP
6 News Reporter
SEVIERVILLE (WATE) -- A not-for-profit clinic is expanding its low cost
dental care in Sevier County.
The Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic offers free and reduced healthcare to
the un-insured. It includes everything from check-ups to mental health care.
Now, the staff is on a new mission to improve lives, one smile at a time.
Laura Martin has a steady job and paycheck. But as a single mom, it's still
hard to make ends meet.
"I'm self-employed. I have two children that still live at home, single
parent," Martin explains, "It tends to make you want to put your dental
responsibilities on the back burner until you pay other things like rent and
food and gas."
For just $35 each, Laura and her nine-year-old son, Bishop, can come to the
clinic to have their teeth cleaned and polished and get X-rays. It's a new
service offered at Mountain Hope.
"Up until now, we've had a huge waiting list of people just to get out of
pain, just pulling teeth. Now, with this partnership with East Tennessee
State University, we're able to do some preventative care," explains
Director of Marketing and Development Elaine Miller.
Teachers and dental hygiene students like Emily Matthews make the trip from
the Tri-Cities each Friday to provide the service. The cost depends on a
patient's income.
"They are so appreciative," Matthews says. "It is so rewarding to come in
here, sit the patient down, clean their teeth and then see them walk out
with a smile on their face."
The clinic sees patients of all ages. The only requirements are that you
must be un-insured and live or work in Sevier County. There' also a
receptionist who does double duty as a Spanish language interpreter.
Patients say without this clinic, their health would suffer. "I wouldn't go
to the dentist or I would just take my kids and not go myself. That's how it
would end up probably," Martin says.
Dental appointments are set up on Fridays. For more information, call the
clinic at (865)-774-7684.
Tennessee will Officially go Smoke-free in Most Workplaces and all
Restaurants on October 1, 2007.
http://www.legislature.state .tn.us/bills/currentga/Amend/HA0739.pdf
Top 10 Things to Know About Your Dental Hygienist
These days, a visit with your dental hygienist may result in more benefits
than just cleaner teeth and healthier gums -- you might even decide to stop
smoking, improve your nutrition or check to see if you might be at risk for
diabetes.
"Most people simply don't realize just how educated and skilled their dental
hygienists are," said Susan McLearan, president of the California Dental
Hygienists' Association (CDHA). "The profession has evolved to the point
where we actually can save lives."
In keeping with its mission to raise public awareness about dental health
and to promote the value of seeing a dental hygienist, the association has
issued the following list of the Top Ten Things Californians Should Know
About Their Dental Hygienists.
"The list is intended to show how dental hygienists play such an integral
role in overall public health -- in many different ways and on many
different levels."
That role is reflected in the following facts about Registered Dental
Hygienists (RDH):
1. Highly Educated Professionals -- The minimum level of education for
licensure is equivalent to a four-year degree with two years specializing in
dental hygiene.
2. Committed to Expanding Access to Care -- Specially licensed hygienists
can go into underserved communities and provide dental hygiene services to
some of the millions of Californians who would otherwise have no access to
dental care.
3. Screen for Oral Cancer -- Dental hygienists possess the skills to be the
first health professional to identify potential signs of oral cancer and
refer a patient to a physician.
4. Promote Healthy Nutrition -- Dental hygienists can tell if a patient is
eating poorly or is malnourished; they can then offer helpful advice and
information.
5. Spot Signs of Eating Disorders -- Also related to nutritional issues,
eating disorders can also be recognized in the mouth during a check up.
6. Recognize Signs of Diabetes -- Dental hygienists can alert patients that
they might be in danger from diabetes, and refer them to seek confirmation
from a medical doctor.
7. Promote Smoking Cessation -- When examining patients who smoke tobacco,
dental hygienists often will counsel them to quit and provide resources and
information about steps they can take to stop smoking.
8. Prevent Gum and Periodontal Disease -- By cleaning and examining teeth
and gums, dental hygienists play a major role in preventing common oral
diseases.
9. Understand the Link Between Oral Health and Emotional Health in Children
-- Dental hygienists are passionate about promoting good oral health among
children, who can often suffer speech impediments, social ridicule,
diminished self esteem and other problems related to poor oral health.
10. Represented by CDHA, the Official Voice of Dental Hygiene -- Since CDHA
was established 20 years ago, dental hygienists have been making continuous
strides toward becoming the skilled, autonomous and essential public health
professionals that they are today.
Furthermore, dental hygienists are qualified to detect a wide range of other
life-threatening conditions, including high blood pressure and HIV.
"The items on our list really underscore that the mouth is a window into a
person's comprehensive health," said CDHA's McLearan. "And because the
average person sees a hygienist more often than a physician, it is
especially important for people to understand the many facets and benefits
of the dental hygiene profession."
The California Dental Hygienists' Association (CDHA) is the authoritative
voice of the state's dental hygiene profession. While registered dental
hygienists have worked in the state for nearly a century, CDHA was
established 20 years ago when two regional associations merged to form a
unified professional group. CDHA represents thousands of dental hygienists
throughout the state and is dedicated to expanding opportunities for the
profession and access to care for all Californians.
Source: California Dental Hygienists' Association
Grills from Dentists Only, Lawmaker Says
A Tennessee lawmaker wants to outlaw anyone but a dentist from taking
impressions for mouth jewelry known as grills or fronts.
State Rep. John J. Deberry Jr. said his "Grills Bill" is aimed at mall
kiosks and jewelry stores that take dental impressions under
less-than-sanitary conditions.
"I guess we can't outlaw the jewelry for your mouth," said Deberry,
D-Memphis. "But we can make sure that it if your children go in there they
are not getting an impression of their teeth with a mold and material that
someone else has just used."
The customized tooth caps, popularized by rappers like Nelly and Paul Wall,
are made of precious metals and jewels and can cost thousands of dollars for
a full set. Some can be snapped onto the teeth, while others are permanently
bonded to the teeth.
Deberry's bill would allow only dental practitioners to take impressions
used in "the fabrication of a cosmetic metal apparatus to be worn in the
human mouth, whether or not such apparatus features silver, gold, or
platinum caps, jeweled inlays, or any other cosmetic features."
Dentists are already the only ones allowed to take tooth impressions under
current Tennessee law, said Dr. Walter Owens, a Nashville dentist and
executive secretary of the Pan Tennessee Dental Association.
"I think Rep. Deberry wants to be more specific to make sure that it is
stated clearly that no one who is not a licensed dental practitioner can
perform these services," he said.
Owens added anybody getting a dental appliance should have their dentist
evaluate their medical history to make sure they won't have any allergies or
other problems with their gum tissue.
Deberry said his personal feelings about the dental jewelry didn't factor
into his decision to introduce the bill.
"I think that whether or not I have a problem with grills is irrelevant," he
said. "I think people are going to do it, so there's no point in outlawing
and pushing it underground."
Owens said he is concerned about what he called "the social implications and
the cultural stereotyping" that the grills can encourage, but acknowledged
there is little dentists can do about it.
"We can't change the value system," Owens said. "But we can protect the
public by making sure that people who are not licensed practitioners can not
fabricate appliances that go in the mouth.
http://media.www.mtsusidelines.com/media/storage/paper202/news/2007/01/29/News/Grills.From.Dentists.Only.Lawmaker.Says-2683177.shtml
