Grand Forks nonprofit groups will be kicking off late this month what would be only the third dental clinic in the state aimed at local low- to moderate-income residents.
The only problem is it would likely have far more patients than it can handle, Debbie Swanson, a nurse supervisor at the Public Health Department, told the City Council on Tuesday night. She's already hearing from enthused would-be patients before having made the news widely known or even accepting appointments, she said.
Currently, many area dentists cannot get reimbursement from Medicaid, the federal health program for low-income people, so some are doing dental work for free, according to Swanson. There aren't enough of them, though, so many poor people travel as far as Fargo to get care.
Fargo is home to the two other low-income dental clinics in North Dakota.
But, Swanson told the Herald, "a vast majority are doing without dental care." Bad teeth can have a major impact on a person's life, she said. Toothaches can make it hard for children to learn and ugly teeth sometimes can make it hard for people to find jobs, as difficult as that is to believe, she said.
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The Grand Forks clinic has been under construction at the old Deaconess Hospital since August with funds from the city's Community Development Bloc Grant, from donations and from foundations. Altogether the project is expected to cost about $620,000.
Council members nodded approvingly as Swanson filled them on the details.
Council member Doug Christensen even asked her to come back and apply for more city funding if that was needed.
The clinic is to be run by the Valley Community Health Center, a regional nonprofit group.
For now, the new dental clinic will not be accepting appointments. The concern, according to Swanson, is how to sort the really needy from those that can afford to go to regular dentists. The clinic doesn't have a process in place yet to figure that out and it's expecting plenty of referrals from existing social service agencies, such as the Third Street Clinic.
A staff of four one dentist, two hygienists and a receptionist is all the staff the clinic has now, though there is room for expansion, if the money can be found.
There's a reason the clinic has been so popular before it's even opened: Clinics that take on patients regardless of their ability to pay are rare. Besides the three in North Dakota, there are only seven in all of outstate Minnesota.
For more information but not an appointment call Swanson at (701) 787-8100.
