If she has not found anything yet, I would suggest she call them all in her area, sometimes they feel like helping someone, but I must add any doctor in the dental field are not very caring at all if you have no money. I am in the dental field and know how they work, recently a child died in Maryland from an infected tooth, not one cared because the mother had no money, this happens more than people know. Al I can say is good luck. As legal Mexican said, find a dental school, that is how doctors learn, they need hands on. Also, many hospitals will have some kind of dental support for her, I know here in Massachusetts UMass Memorial has one, and Boston has them. Depending where she is from, her state may have Public Health Dentist and hygienist that serve those in need an bill the state for the work, the state does not pay much, but it may be her best option. Find out by doing a Google search
For Immediate Release Contact: Kathy Pelullo
March 6, 2007 508-596-2186
Death of Boy Emphasizes Necessity of Preventive Oral Health Care in Massachusetts
The tragic death of 12 year Deamonte Driver, a Maryland resident who died because untreated tooth decay led to a fatal brain infection, is evidence of one of the major health crises America faces today: namely, the lack of access to preventive dental care. The Massachusetts Dental Hygienists’ Association (MDHA) is working to combat this growing problem on a state level, with a piece of legislation that would allow dental hygienists to practice in public health settings, such as public schools, Head Start programs, community health centers and nursing homes, without a dentist’s supervision.
Driver was a 12 year-old homeless boy who died last Sunday after an infection from a molar spread to his brain. “We do not want similar crises to happen here in Massachusetts. This death was preventable,” said Carolyn Wehler, Chair of Education and Research for MDHA.
Under present law in Massachusetts, dental hygienists can only deliver services under the supervision of a dentist, typically in a dental office. However, of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts, nearly 20% do not have a practicing dentist, and in the remaining 282 cities and towns, 30% do not have enough dentists. More than 50% of towns and cities in Massachusetts have no dentist willing to accept MassHealth. Furthermore, it can take six months to one year to be seen by a MassHealth dentist in many parts of Massachusetts.
Representative Smitty Pignatelli, the House Sponsor of H2221 “An Act to Increase Access to Oral Health Care,” stated “Unfortunately, there are many residents in the Commonwealth who are also without access to dental care, especially those who live in rural areas, such as the Berkshires. Perhaps what makes the case in Maryland even more of a tragedy is that this death could have been avoided if he had access to preventive dental care. In our Commonwealth, oral health care is already provided under Mass Health. To increase access to these services will not cost the taxpayers any money, although it may save the Commonwealth a life."
Because access to preventive care by a hygienist is tied to finding a dentist’s office willing to accept them as patients, minorities, the poor, the uninsured, the chronically ill, the elderly, and those in rural parts of the Commonwealth often have no access to either a dentist or a dental hygienist.
Facing the same problem, 20 states, including the bordering states of Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, and Connecticut, have passed similar legislation, dramatically increasing access to oral healthcare and yielding impressive results. In Connecticut alone, 55,000 procedures were performed in just one year as people who otherwise would not have had access to a dentist were able to receive treatment from a dental hygienist. This saved the state hundreds of thousands of dollars, as studies show that for every dollar spent on providing preventive treatments to lower income individuals, a state saves $8-$50 in more expensive restorative care.
Such treatment is absolutely vital in maintaining a healthy mouth and a healthy body, as Driver’s case demonstrates. Upon hearing of his death, the American Dental Association emphasized the importance of “universal availability of preventative care,” and this legislation would provide just that.
MDHA is committed to ensuring access to quality oral health care and increasing awareness of the cost effective benefits of prevention and oral health education
