December 5, 2009. Evansville Courier & Press.
Congregations Acting for Justice and Empowerment (CAJE) met last week for the annual update on the organization’s projects.
Ralph Matacale presented a report for the Community Dental Clinic. CAJE can be proud of being a part of establishing a dental clinic that has served more than 3,300 new patients and more than 4,600 returning patient appointments since inception in 2006.
Matacale and his staff are to be commended for their effort bringing dental care to many people who would have otherwise not had any at all.
However, the job CAJE started is not done. According to a report, a typical dentist in Evansville serves a population of approximately 1,750 people. The Community Dental Clinic serves a population, eligible for its services, of more than 30,000. Last year the clinic had to turn away more than 4,000 people who requested service.
Matacale was right in asking, “When was taking care of teeth removed from the general medical condition of a patient?”
Studies indicate tooth decay and gum disease lead to other disease within a person’s body. The studies on persistent inflammation in humans can lead to serious disease arising in a variety of other body locations entirely unrelated to the source, decaying teeth.
In an Aug. 19, 2009 Courier & Press article, it was explained the hospital systems in Evansville would no longer contribute to the clinic’s operation. A spokesman for Deaconess Hospital, Sam Rogers was quoted as saying, “Its (Deaconess’) belief that a dental clinic for the indigent would benefit both hospital systems by reducing the number of emergency room visits by people with severe toothaches.” It did not develop. There was not a significant reduction in patients seeking dental relief at the emergency rooms.
This development can hardly be a surprise to anyone. In a small office with minimal staff, a single dentist is struggling to provide dental services to a population who are traditionally not familiar with dental hygiene, not familiar with how to interact with professional offices, and who may have significant fears and phobias about the dental experience that have kept them out of the dental chair for years and years.
The limited staff simply cannot see the number of people necessary to positively impact the number of patients seen at hospital emergency rooms.
It is time for the hospitals that are building monuments to the illnesses of Evansville to reconsider their commitment to the Community Dental Clinic and increase it.
It is time for churches and organizations, not affiliated with CAJE, to plan gifts to the dental clinic as a part of their ministries.
The Community Dental Clinic is needed to provide a place where enough people can be seen to make a statistical difference in the emergency room treatment numbers.
These are people who are losing teeth, suffering infections and inflammation, having to face pain and embarrassment until their teeth literally fall out. Emergency room treatment is no answer.
Certainly, in a community as rich as ours, we can afford to build up the clinic and the people it serves by increasing funding, increasing the number of dentists and staff available and improving equipment to allow a streamlined treatment protocol making the best use of every hour the clinic is open.
