New Van Wert dental clinic opens shop

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Better smiles are ahead for low-income area residents with the establishment of a new dental clinic in the Van Wert Medical Services Center on Fox Road.

The Van Wert Smiles dental clinic held an open house Wednesday to show off its new facilities. The clinic is the result of a partnership between Van Wert County Hospital and the Toledo-based Dental Center of Northwest Ohio, which has been providing dental care to low-income families for more than 100 years.

“We were approached last December by the hospital and asked if we would like to partner,” said Lindy Cree, executive director of the Dental Center of Northwest Ohio, noting that the clinic has already been providing dental services to more than 300 local patients from its 40-foot mobile clinic. “It’s refreshing to find a medical facility that is interested in dental, so our board thought it was a great opportunity … and we developed a partnership.”

Cree said the hospital agreed to renovate space in the Medical Services building for the dental clinic, which includes six treatment rooms, a consultation room, and a digital x-ray machine.

She noted that, while the mobile clinic provided valuable services in Van Wert, having a permanent clinic here will increase the number of days patients can be served from twice a month to three days a week — with a goal of operating five days a week by the end of 2016.

Cree noted, however, that the move to a five-day-a-week operation would depend on how quickly her organization can hire additional dentists and hygienists to provide services at the clinic. Initially, the clinic will be open Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Cree said evening hours are also a possibility in future.

The executive director said she has been very pleased with the way the community has welcomed the clinic to Van Wert.

“Everybody here has just been fantastic,” Cree said. “Everyone has been very welcoming.”

The clinic will provide comprehensive dental care for low-income and fixed-income area residents, including dental cleaning and exams, fillings, tooth extraction, root-canal therapy, crowns, and dentures, as well as preventive services such as fluoride treatments and sealants.

Most patients will either be Medicaid eligible or without insurance, Cree noted, adding, though, that many elderly residents on fixed incomes could also benefit from the clinic’s services. While Van Wert County residents will make up a majority of patients, Cree said Paulding County residents would also be welcome at the clinic.

“It’s a very targeted portion of the community that we are honored to serve, and who deserve quality dental care,” Cree said. Medicaid serves those with incomes under 400 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.

She added that the new Van Wert clinic is committed to providing basic dental health to the community.

“Our goal is to ensure that people can speak correctly and properly, that they can smile and not be embarrassed, that they can chew, that they have a mouth that functions the way your mouth is supposed to,” she said, noting, though, that the clinic has to work within the Medicaid guidelines. “Some decisions are not ours to make.”

The clinic will also made referrals for orthodontic services, although she noted Medicaid doesn’t pay for “cosmetic” dental services.

Cree said the clinic plans on having additional open house events to show off the new clinic and allow area residents to check out the facilities.