Delta Dental awards $10,000 to dental clinic for uninsured

Sep 29, 2009

Delta Dental of Pennsylvania has awarded a grant of $10,000 to a community dental clinic in Butler County that was lacking sufficient funds to open its doors to the area's uninsured.

The Community Health Clinic of Butler County provides free medical care to more than 1,000 uninsured patients, and is working to add dental care to its facility -- a work-in-progress since the clinic's opening in 2008, according to Delta Dental.

Although two dental operatories were built and dentists enlisted to provide services, a shortfall has prevented the dental clinic from opening its doors to low-income patients.

A story published in a Pittsburgh newspaper caught the attention of Delta Dental, which pledged a donation. The first installment of $5,000 was delivered last week to clinic officials.

The clinic serves Butler County residents ages 19 to 64 who are income-eligible (no more than $21,660 annually for individuals or $44,000 for a family of four), lack insurance, and do not qualify for Medicaid or other government programs.

"We have a huge need for dental services because we are an absolute safety net for this population," said Cecelia Buechele Foster, the clinic's executive director. "Since we don't receive federal funding and therefore aren't eligible for any federal stimulus dollars, we are especially grateful that Delta Dental is acknowledging the importance of the services we provide and the hard work of our staff."

With Delta Dental's grant plus additional funding from other sources, the clinic should open in six to eight weeks, she added. Basic dental services -- cleanings, exams, fillings, and extractions -- will be provided one to two times monthly to eligible patients.