"I've got my smile back!" says 50 year old who hadn't been to the dentist since 5th grade

Free dental care gives uninsured a reason to smile

Felecia Haywood bounded out of the dental chair, still numb but giddy after getting three fillings and having her chipped front tooth repaired.

"I've got my smile back!" said Haywood, 50, who had not been to a dentist since the fifth grade. She chipped her tooth about 10 years ago while eating. :cry:

Haywood and dozens of homeless and very-low-income patients of the nonprofit Glide Health Services in San Francisco received two weeks of free dental cleaning and treatments at Tooth Travelers, a mobile dental program stationed in the parking lot of Glide Memorial Church's parking lot at 330 Ellis St. through today.

A dentist and assistants extracted more than 45 teeth and filled at least 50 cavities during 140 appointments in the 40-foot dental van since setting up at Glide on June 6. Many of the patients had been waiting for months for the chance to see a dentist.

------------------------

Because of budget constraints, the state eliminated virtually all adult Medi-Cal dental services, known as Denti-Cal, in July 2009. The decision has left indigent and uninsured people with few options, so they often show up at emergency rooms in pain to have their teeth pulled and abscesses treated.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/06/16/BAV31JUBBF.DTL#ixzz1PZpjfOr5

It was hard enough finding one who would take 'medi-Cal' in our rural area, there's ONE in town, and she is horrible... even traveled to one dentist an hour away when the little one was 3 and needed fillings, which was a whole day trip when it was said & done. Oh, and the one OTHER dentist up here got busted by the feds years ago for fraud. Nice options.

My parents have helped us out and offered to pay for all our dental work. The kids go to a really nice local dentist now...But it makes me so upset that our choices would be nil if we had no family backup. I have finally found someone who is gentle enough to NOT trigger my abuse trauma...

(the medi-cal dentist that everyone hates nearly had me in full ptsd mode just cleaning my teeth and refusing to stop when i got scared and upset, it was really awful. :cry:)

cheaper dental care. Many of the dentists are American who work on both sides of the border

Russian immigrant named "Orly"?

she reminded me of those women in the nail places that work so hard and fast they make your nails hurt... but with teeth! :(

even crappy plans would allow for patient comfort and to be free of infection. that's the LEAST they should do of course....

If all the dentists did some work in this regard for less compensation, the whole country could benefit greatly. I tried over the years but ridiculous regs in PA made it impossible. And I mean IMPOSSIBLE, not difficult.