MEMPHIS, Tenn. (localmemphis.com) – Cavities/tooth decay is themost common chronic disease for children, according to the Centers for DiseaseControl. The risk is higher in impoverished communities.
Typically, dental offices are found in strip malls or standaloneoffices, not hospitals.
University of Tennessee Health Science Center says its first goalof opening a new pediatric clinic in Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital is toimprove access to dental care.
“There is not always the access to dental care that we wouldlike for it to be. Many of the children who come to have their primary healthneeds met here do not have the opportunity for dental care. And so we’re tryingto put all that into one building,” Dr. Volk Vinall said.
Dr. Volk Vinall will double as the clinic director and thedirector of Predoctoral Pediatric Dentistry – and an assistant professor in theUTHSC College of Dentistry.
The clinic, which is located to the right of the hospital’s mainentrance, will serve as a community clinic. Inside, it’s fitted to becomfortable for children, with televisions directly above where the patientswill lay down during appointments. There’s also a game room off to the side.
The clinic will provide all the same services as a normalpediatric dentist would.
Dr. Vinall said, by having the clinic in Le Bonheur, they canremove some barriers that would prevent kids from seeing a dentist. He saidit’s especially important for the Memphis-community, where higher povertyincreases the lack of quality care for kids.
The hope, he said, is parents would be able to group all theirappointments together in one day, at one location.
“We’re hoping that we’re just limiting the number of timesthey have to seek out transportation. We’ll help ease that transportationburden. Additionally, a barrier is time off work, or parents who have theability to bring their child, so coordinating appointments to try and minimizemissed time from work, missed time from school,” he said.
The space will also have additional benefits for UTHSC and LeBonheur. Dr. Vinall said it will allow UTHSC to attract and recruit moredentists into academics for them.
Dr. Larry Dormois added there’s also a benefit for thecollaborative efforts between UTHSC and Le Bonheur. He said pediatric dentistswith UTHSC often work with Le Bonheur regarding heart patients. Nearly everyother week, he said, they’re called over to the children’s hospital over dentalconcerns that could affect their treatment. Now, they’re only steps away ifneeded.
At 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, the clinic will have a floss-cuttingceremony to celebrate it’s opening.
The clinic accepts TennCare, Arkansas Medicaid, and MississippiMedicaid, as well as many other insurance companies.