Uninsured patients of Ebenezer Medical Outreach have another reason to smile.
Dr. William Grimes has joined Ebenezer as a volunteer dentist. Once a month, Dr. Grimes will be offering essential general dentistry services like fillings, extractions, and more to uninsured patients of Huntington’s long-serving free and charitable clinic. Having previously served several years ago, his return to Ebenezer, now on the first floor of Fairfield’s Douglass Centre, could not have come at a better time.
This monthly clinic by Dr. Grimes is the latest addition to Ebenezer’s efforts to improve the oral health of our region’s uninsured and underserved. Twice a week, Barb Thaxton, a Public Health Dental Hygienist, performs oral health screenings and dental cleanings. When further treatment is needed, she schedules the patients with either Dr. Grimes’ monthly clinic, a twice-monthly Dental Resident clinic (precepted by Dr. David Eller and conducted in partnership with Marshall Dentistry), or in the offices of Ebenezer’s community partners.
Over 5,000 adults in Cabell County do not have health insurance – and 75% of them are in the labor force. Often because they work, they make too much to qualify for programs like Medicaid but not enough to afford care.
Dental care can be even more challenging. The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health estimates 27% of Americans don’t have dental insurance – a rate nearly three times that of those without health insurance. While West Virginia Medicaid offers an adult dental benefit of $2,000 every two years, it can be a challenge to find a dentist who accepts it: less than one-third of West Virginia dentists do, and one study found an average wait of 95 days for an initial appointment with one of them.
Through its dental clinic, Ebenezer is meeting a major need for those without insurance and for those on Medicaid. Currently, dental appointments are only available to patients who are established with an Ebenezer primary care provider. Interested patients are encouraged to call 304-529-0753 to start their application. Once your eligibility is confirmed, you will be quickly scheduled with a primary care provider who can then refer you to the dental clinic.
It’s enough to put a smile on your face.