Thanks to grant award by Highmark
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Monongalia County Health Department Dentistry will soon be expanding by about 50%, from five to seven operatories, thanks to a $50,000 grant from the Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health.
After Medicaid expanded dental benefits to include adults at up to $1,000 a year, which started Jan. 1, MCHD Dentistry’s patient count increased.
“Now that adults who have Medicaid have additional benefits, we cannot keep up with the demand with our current space and providers,” said Tiffany Summerlin, MCHD Dentistry registered dental hygienist who applied for the grant. “So this grant will allow us to be a dental home for many people who currently do not already have a regular dental provider.”
The grant will fund the construction of two more operatories that will be created from an existing conference room. Summerlin has plans to apply for additional grant funding with a goal of allowing MCHD Dentistry to add two more operatories, bringing the total to nine.
Improvements will include a new dental evacuation system that will provide suction for the entire office.
Announced in the spring, Highmark’s new West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health recently distributed nearly $1 million in grants to 20 non-profit organizations in the state, including 14 oral health and dental care recipients.
The organization “is excited to provide critical funding to support West Virginia-based health and social service organizations, particularly those that address the social determinants of health and oral care for West Virginia families,” said Jim Fawcett, president of Highmark West Virginia, in a statement.
“We are looking forward to seeing the positive impact these grant funds will make to support the well-being of our community through this funding.”
Established in 1974, MCHD Dentistry has steadily expanded since 2010, when just one dentist and one hygienist were employed. Now there are three full-time and one part-time hygienist, plus three dental assistants.
Dr. Youseph Kassar joined the practice in June 2020 as the second dentist and now serves as interim program manager since the departure in September of Dr. Dan Carrier. A second dentist will be hired soon.
“With more operatories, it opens the possibility to bring on a third dentist in the long term, while also adding on more hygienists and assistants to match the growth,” Kassar said.
In 2010-11, providers saw 2,160 patients. That number rose to 4,304 in 2016-17, and in the first nine months of 2021, it went to 6,200.
“Medicaid patients are about 90% of our current increase,” said office manager Jenna Coombs.
MCHD Dentistry treats all patients, including those with insurance, Medicaid and CHIP, in addition to offering a new patient special and sliding scale fees for those who qualify.
As the only full-service dental practice located in a West Virginia health department, MCHD Dentistry offers a variety of preventive, therapeutic, cosmetic and orthodontic treatments, including comprehensive exams and cleanings, oral cancer screenings, digital X-rays, fluoride treatments, dental sealants, bridges, same-day crowns, dentures and partials, implants, root canals, simple extractions, bleaching and whitening, porcelain veneers and Invisalign clear aligners.
In 2018, Monongalia County Health Department also launched Smile Express, a mobile dental facility that is outfitted with two fully equipped dental chairs, a panoramic X-ray and software to transmit the images back to MCHD Dentistry to be viewed by a dentist in real time. Smile Express visits schools in six counties and travels to other locations to treat individuals without a dental home.
And in June, MCHD Dentistry started creating same-day crowns with a milling machine that, used in conjunction with a digital scanner, provides a shorter experience for the patient while ensuring a better crown fit.
The goal for the completion of the new operatories is within six to 12 months, Summerlin said.
For up-to-date information on health and wellness in Monongalia County, check out monchd.org.
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