Oral care is essential to maintain good dental health and prevent dental problems such as cavities, gum disease, and bad breath. Poor oral hygiene can lead to serious health issues, including heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. The need for oral hygiene is emphasized through education and awareness campaigns by dental professionals and health organizations. As the dental eligibility coordinator at Sulzbacher Center for Homelessness’ Dental Clinic, I serve patients who are either homeless or below the 200% Federal Poverty Guidelines, getting them access to the care they need.
Dental procedures can be quite costly, especially when one lacks insurance coverage. Individuals facing limited access to healthcare due to various social determinants of health may be unable to afford insurance, resulting in insufficient dental care. However, at Sulzbacher’s Dental Clinic, such barriers to dental care are recognized, and measures are taken to address the issue. Every day, I encounter patients who require urgent dental care, but unfortunately, the healthcare system does not always work in their favor, resulting in various health problems that require further attention.
In my role as the dental eligibility coordinator, my position is to ensure that patients become eligible to receive ongoing dental care at the clinic. The patient community at Sulzbacher dental clinic is diverse and includes individuals from various backgrounds who all face some form of financial hardship or inequality. To address this, all patients are placed on a sliding fee scale that determines the cost of the services they receive. The fees charged at the clinic are significantly lower and more affordable than those at private dental practices, making oral care affordable and accessible to our patients.
I see my position as the gatekeeper into healthy oral care at our clinic. Throughout my time as an AmeriCorps member, I have been able to directly witness the struggles my patients face, trying to receive basic healthcare. It has been an eye-opening experience to serve people from different backgrounds and refer them to the care they need. Although I am not pursuing a career in the dentistry field, I have gained a vast amount of knowledge about dentistry, the intricacies of public insurance/Medicaid, and the significant challenges that lower-income communities encounter while trying to access dental care. As I start medical school this summer, I hope to take what I’ve experienced this past year and advocate for more accessible and affordable healthcare as an osteopathic physician.
