Mobile clinic provides needed dental care
An aching tooth can make life miserable. Many adults lack dental insurance and cannot come up with several hundred dollars to visit a dentist. So the Latino Community Association has teamed up with Medical Teams International to help fill the need for emergency care.
On the morning of Oct. 26, a volunteer dentist and dental assistant wheeled up to the Redmond LCA office in a long red van outfitted with two dental chairs and equipment. The team worked non-stop until afternoon and treated 10 patients.
They try to fill cavities, but sometimes patients arrive with teeth that cannot be saved and the only remedy is extraction. The dental team is not set up to perform root canals or crowns, procedures that require more than one visit.
LCA publicizes the clinic on its Facebook page and the 10 slots fill up quickly. Patients pay $55 to see the dentist, to help defray the cost of bringing the mobile clinic. Typically, the dental team performs more than $5,000 worth of services at each clinic, which are held periodically in Bend, Redmond and Madras.
To support LCA’s dental services or to volunteer your dental skills (we need dentists), please call 541.382.4366 or visit latinocommunityassociation.org.
