Homeless receive free dental care services during Crossroads event
A handful of community members in need got a boost in their oral health during the Free Dental Day for the Homeless event provided by the Sunset Community Health Center’s mobile unit.
Up to 10 adult patients were seen on Wednesday afternoon at the Crossroads Mission for dental care. According to case manager at Crossroads Mission Alanna Limon, while many of the patients qualify for AHCCCS, their insurance does not cover many dental care services other than emergency care.
“We have a lot of clients that come through the doors that are in pain so we try to help them as much as we can,” Limon said. “People come in and say they are in pain and they need to see a dentist. Usually, if they have AHCCCS, their medical is coveredthey can go to a doctor but dental is always an issue.”
As a preventative measure and to address those who may feel discomfort due to poor dental health, the SCHC mobile unit visits the mission around once or twice a year, she said.
“They’ve been coming on and off throughout the years-sometimes once a year, sometimes twice a year,” Limon said. “This year they are blessing us with two times a year.”
Prior to providing free dental care services to the homeless, Limon explained that SCHC supplies the Crossroads Mission with applications to sign up those in need of such care.
“The Sunset Dental mobile clinic comes here and helps with free dental assistance to the people that live here at Crossroads Mission,” she said, “They come and they drop off the applications for us to sign up people that are in pain, that have chipped teeth or just need a tooth pulled that’s been bothering them.”
Dennis Meyers, whose gums were checked on Wednesday at the SCHC mobile unit, said it had been about a year since he had been to the dentist. He added that the dental care could act as a measure to help prevent any serious complications.
“I am extremely grateful for the mobile (unit) to come down because my insurance doesn’t cover dental and it can get kind of ‘spendy’ if they do have to do any work,” he said. “Being able to be seen down here just means a lot to me.”
Many of the patients were seen on Wednesday by Geoffery K. Lines who is based at the San Luis Dental Clinic. His specialty is general dentistry and he graduated back in June 2017 from Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine in Glendale, Ariz. Following that he joined SCHC in July of 2017.