Established in 1999, Neponset Valley Community Health Coalition aims to support and help underserved residents access medical care.
With the help of donations amounting to $3,500 from a local chamber of commerce, a local hospital, and public health departments of three towns, the Elder Dental Program was born. The program is a project of the Visiting Nurse Association of the community and is held twice a year. In April 2002, the program held its first clinic wherein 48 patients were screened by volunteer dentists. The program currently has 49 participating dentists who supervise volunteer dental students during screening events. The patients receive various dental services, which include oral hygiene instruction, denture cleaning, nutritional counseling, orofacial cancer examinations, and clinical dental examinations.
Elizabeth Perry, the program manager, said that the program targets seniors who live independently and whose age is above 60. Although patients had to travel to the offices of the volunteer dentists, many communities provide transportation services as well as safe and affordable regional transportation options. She added that the program caters to patients who do not qualify for Medicaid, do not have dental insurance, live at 150-200% of poverty level, and can’t afford dental care.
After serving 408 senior citizens during its 13 screening clinics in 2009, statistics showed that 47% of the program’s patients experienced progressive periodontitis; almost 32% suffered untreated decay; and 19% had acute discomfort. Moreover, they found out that 55% of the patients had no dentist and 82.6% are not covered by any dental insurance. The program’s statistics likewise revealed that the average income of the patients was $12,000 per annum and that one-third of them had an annual income below the poverty level.
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