Medworks free dental clinic helps hundreds of Clevelanders get needed care

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Diane Thomas of Cleveland lined up outside the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland at 6:15 a.m. Friday, eager to secure her spot at the free dental clinic offered by Medworks. Thomas, who does not have dental insurance, wanted to get a cleaning.

“It’s expensive,” Thomas said. “You just really need to prioritize the care you get.”

Thomas retired 15 years ago from her job in manufacturing, where she worked as a laborer. She has medical insurance but dental insurance is out of her reach.

“If costs keep going up, I’ll need to be rehired: a job-seeking senior,” she quipped.

The event was the first large-scale dental clinic organized by the local nonprofit, which annually hosts eight to 10 free health clinics to improve access to care for the underinsured and uninsured.

Medworks organizers expected to be able to help roughly 1,200 patients during the two-day event, which kicked off at 7 a.m. Friday and continues Saturday starting at 7 a.m.

“Dental care is just a need that is not met in our community,” said Lauren Barbour, program director for Medworks and the organizer of the event. “Dental insurance is a luxury for a lot of people.”

As many as 114 million people in the U.S. don’t have dental care, and there is “enormous pent-up demand,” said Zac Ponsky, Medworks board president. Lack of that care can lead to serious medical conditions like diabetes or heart disease.

“Even people who have jobs don’t have dental care,” Ponsky said.

Despite a heavy downpour Friday morning, hundreds like Thomas waited in the rain for cleanings, extractions, partial implants, sealants and a host of other dental services.

Adrennia Cheatham of Cleveland Heights drove her 81-year-old mother downtown for the clinic because she needed multiple teeth extracted.

“Her teeth are in seriously bad shape,” Cheatham said.

And, even though her mother has dental insurance, it only covers one tooth extraction per year. The rest she would have to pay for out of pocket, an un-affordable option for someone who relies on Social Security payments.

Because of the lack of dental care in the community, a lot of people with dental emergencies turn to the emergency rooms, said Dr. Roger Hess of Periodontal Associations Inc. in Lyndhurst. But ERs aren’t equipped to handle dental care and often just give patients an antibiotic and a prescription for pain.

“We’re a much better alternative to the ER,” said Hess, who serves as the dental director for Medworks.

Hess was one of 12 volunteer dentists on site assisting patients Friday morning and part of a team of roughly 600 volunteers scheduled to help throughout the event.

Jeri Hiles, who lives downtown, came to the clinic because she was worried about a spot on one of her teeth.

Hiles, who retired from the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, said she doesn’t qualify for Medicaid but doesn’t have enough money to afford medical insurance, let alone dental coverage.

After her examination at the dental clinic, she was referred to one of the federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) on site to set up a follow-up appointment for her tooth, which potentially could require a root canal.

FQHCs offer a number of health services to the under-insured and uninsured on a sliding fee scale, depending on the patient’s ability to pay.