Dentists fix teeth, improve lives
Church Health making difference for more
After years of smoking and neglecting his teeth, Kevin Spaulding had the kind of smile that made him look like he “lived under a bridge,” he says.
Rotted stubs were all that remained of his front upper teeth. He rarely smiled, taking care when he did to keep his upper lip down.
But it was a different Spaulding who stood next to his dentist, Dr. Laurie Hodge, the other day, grinning widely for a portrait. Both flashed flawless smiles.
“We have matching teeth,” Hodge said.
Spaulding, a 51-year-old construction worker, is among a growing number of patients benefiting from an expanded dental program offered by Church Health, which partners with healthcare providers to offer services to uninsured residents.
New location, larger capacity
Having moved into Crosstown Concourse just over a year ago, the program handles some 400 patient visits weekly, and the total is projected to exceed 15,000 this year. With help from corporate backers, foundations and individual donors, Church Health expects to provide $3.5 million worth of dental services in 2018.
The 12,000-square-foot facility on the second floor of the concourse features 24 dental chairs — up from 10 at the former office on Cleveland — and loads of new equipment, much of it donated by Dental Dental.
Hodge, dental director for Church Health, oversees a staff of four fulltime dentists and 22 dental hygien-
ists, assistants and residents. Several pro-bono providers also volunteer their services.
The amount that patients pay — generally 25-50 percent of the cost of services — is determined by a sliding scale based on such factors as income and family size.
To use the services, residents must either be established Church Health medical patients or participate in the organization’s affordable care plan for small businesses and self-employed people.
The dental program is about more than just fixing teeth. By improving smiles and correcting dental health problems, Church Health is boosting patients’ confidence, and therefore their job opportunities and personal prospects, Hodge says.
“Spiritually and emotionally, you get your mojo back,” she says.
During the first three months of this year, 16 Church Health patients either became employed or were already working and got better jobs after undergoing dental work, according to tracking conducted under the program.
Great need for dental care in Tennessee
Underlying the program’s popularity is the huge unmet need for adult dental services in Tennessee, officials say.
Although the TennCare, the state Medicaid program, provides dental coverage for children, there is no Medicaid dental program for adults, Hodge said. And many people who have medical coverage through their jobs don’t have dental insurance.
“There’s a huge gap” in coverage, Hodge said.
As a result, there are many Memphisarea residents, like Spaulding, who have dental problems that have become compounded over several years, said Dr. Stan Waddell, a general-practice dentist who volunteers his services about once a month at Church Health and has performed similar work in Central and South America.
“The need (for dental care) is just as great in Memphis as when I was in Honduras and Peru,” Waddell said.
Drug and alcohol abuse tend to exacerbate dental problems, he said. Methamphetamine users, for example, often suffer problems such as dry mouth, which leads to severe tooth decay and gum disease. The resulting pain “drives them back” to drug use, Waddell said.
Spaulding attributes his problems to years of smoking cigarettes and failing to properly care for his teeth. His poor dental health caused infections, contributing to blood-pressure problems.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve been having something going on with my mouth,” he said.
That all changed, however, as a result of seven or so visits to Church Health. After some teeth were removed and work was done on his fillings and gums, Spaulding received eight crowns and one bridge.
He paid a fraction of the approximately $15,000 that a regular private dentist would’ve charged.
He now has the confidence to smile broadly and be more outgoing. He said it will help in his work life and family life.
“Appearance plays a big part in a lot of stuff,” Spaulding said.
Hodge has noticed a difference in her patient, as well.
“If you knew him before, he’s a different person,” she said. “He’s got his confidence back.”
Reach Tom Charlier at thomas.charlier@commercialappeal.com or 901529-2572 and on Twitter at @thomasrcharlier.