FAYETTEVILLE -- Many people say they have a fear of going to the dentist, but Terri Quinn had a big grin on her face as she stood in line outside WelcomeHealth early Saturday morning.
Quinn said she has been in severe pain originating in two of her molars for more than a year, but her insurance doesn't cover dental care.
She moved to Fayetteville recently from Texas, decided to search "free dental clinic" online and was excited to find NWA Dental Day, she said.
Saturday marked the third NWA Dental Day and the first in Fayetteville, all hosted by NWA Dental Collaborative. About 60 volunteers, almost all dentists and oral health care professionals, worked from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on more than 200 adult extractions and pediatric screenings.
"Dental care is a huge unmet need in Northwest Arkansas and nationally," said Jill Self-Pike, dentist at Samaritan Community Center in Rogers. "It's expensive, which means it really is a luxury for many."
It's a problem, Self-Pike and others said, because many medical care options available to low-income patients do not include dental care. Therefore, many low-income Arkansans cannot get affordable dental care and only seek help in a dental emergency.
It can cost more than $100 for a standard checkup and cleaning without insurance coverage, and visits that include teeth extractions can run $400 to $500, said Amy Gephart, Samaritan clinic coordinator.
About 90 percent of WelcomeHealth's patients have not consistently seen a dentist for checkups, according to its website.
Almost 50 percent of patients at the last NWA Dental Day in Centerton reported having gone to the emergency room in the previous year because of oral pain, said Ayoola Carleton, HARK director of community partnerships.
"We need the community and policymakers to know that dental care is truly a need that needs to be addressed, because it is a part of full physical health," Carleton said.
"Your mouth is not a separate entity from the rest of your body. We are here to raise awareness of the need for it."
NWA Dental Collaborative's long-term goal is for everyone to have access to care regardless of income level or socio-economic status, Carleton said.
"With things currently as they are, policy is not set up and structured in that manner to give equitable access," she said.
Patients arrived as early as 6 a.m. to get in line for the free services. NWA Dental Day also included free health food, drinks and prizes, along with child-friendly activities.
Dentist Trent McCord was the first private practitioner who opened his Centerton office for NWA Dental Day and volunteered Saturday.
"There's people out there that really need this," McCord said. "People want to help, but it's just difficult to organize something like this. So it takes teamwork. Pulling teeth is the easy part."
State Desk on 06/17/2018