A three year grant amounting to $300,000 will allow the low-income locals of Edgecombe, Nash and Wilson counties to access dental care services.For the next three years, Carolina Family Health Centers will receive $100,000 per year to improve the salaries of its staff, add two dental hygienists, and conduct education and outreach programs.
The grant is from the Health and Wellness Trust Fund Commission, which was established by the government to foster health as well as wellness in North Carolina.
It is considered as one of the seven grants worth $1.9 million awarded by the trust funds Oral Health Initiative. This initiative is purposely designed to expand high-need and low income residents access to preventive services and dental treatments.
“It is unfortunate that many North Carolina citizens do not receive basic dental care, which is so critical for overall good health,” according to Vandana Shah, the executive director of the trust fund. “We hope that these grant funds will provide more North Carolina citizens with access to high-quality, accessible oral health care.”
In 2006, the reported adults in North Carolina that had not visited a dentist annually are almost 32%. The percentages were quite high along with the Hispanics (56%), African-Americans (42%) and Native Americans (39%).
According to Dee Johnson, Carolina Family Health Centers’ executive director, those people having chronic diseases will be given special attention.
“Research points to links between chronic oral infections and diabetes, strokes, premature births, heart and lung disease,” said Johnson. “Those with a compromised immune status are subject to opportunist infections of the mouth and a higher incidence of oral precancerous lesions and cancer.”
Low cost dental plans are available online.
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