Savannah Technical College partners with Savannah Volunteer Dental Clinic to offer free dental care for indigent children

 

SAVANNAH – “There is little or no access to dental care for children of the working poor and underinsured, especially since the Chatham County Health Department closed its dental clinic – September 1, 2007,” says Dr. Felix Maher.   ” Since then, area dental practitioners have worked to create a collaborative to provide access to dental care for underserved populations in the area.”

 

“Last year, a young 12 year old boy died in Maryland from complications from a dental abscess. His mother was unable find dental care and there was a gap in their Medicaid coverage.   This is the high cost of no access to care,” states Maher, “and this what we will try to prevent in this safety net clinic by providing free preventative and therapeutic dental care to eligible children.”

 

Dr. Maher has worked with the local dental community along with other stakeholders in the community to create the Savannah Volunteer Dental Clinic, which will be housed in Savannah Technical College’s Dental Assisting Clinic and Laboratory, 2^nd floor Goodman Hall on the Savannah Campus.

 

“We knew this was something we wanted to be involved in,” explains Marcia Jones, Dean of Allied Health Programs for the college.   “It’s not only an additional clinical opportunity for our students, it’s an opportunity for them to understand the importance of giving back to the community and to see first hand how much of a difference this makes in the life of a child.”

 

The clinic will be run completely by volunteer dentist, dental hygienists, and dental assistants along with students.   Armstrong Atlantic State University Dental Hygiene students and Savannah Technical College Dental Assisting and Dental Office Management Students will have the opportunity for obtaining clinical hours through their participation in the clinic.   Area dentists and their staffs are volunteering their time to the clinic and its patients.

 

The clinic will be open every Friday from 9:00 a.m. until noon for dental appointments.  Children, ages 3 to 18 that don’t currently have dental insurance and that meet certain eligibility guidelines are welcome.   Those with Medicaid/PeachCare are not eligible.   The patients must meet the income requirements to qualify for care which is a maximum of up to 200% of the 2008 federal poverty guidelines.