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Filling the Insurance Gap
By Vicki
L. Friedman/ The Virginian Pilot
GREENBRIER - 10/16/2009
Doris Jessamy needed a
filling. Julie Spence needed six of them. T.J. Harper had a mouth full of bad
teeth waiting to be pulled. Jessamy, Spence and Harper
were among 200 area residents who received free dental care at Oak Grove United
Methodist Church last weekend.
Some came in suits and ties,
others wore Virginia Tech shirts. Some had jobs, others didn’t. Everyone had
this much in common, though: They needed dental work and had no insurance to
pay for it. Cavities, cleanings and
other teeth woes tend to be over- looked during lean economic times, according
to the Oral Health Improvement Coalition of South Hampton Roads.
That’s why the group teamed
with the Pankey Institute to offer free dental services to those who needed it
but had no insurance. Thirteen
portable dental chairs, suctions and drills became part of a makeshift M*A*S*H
unit at Oak Grove, which also was home to a triage center
and an X-ray station. “If it wasn’t
for this, I would have to wait for tax time,” said South Norfolk resident
Jessamy, who has a job but no insurance until she pays a year of premiums.
“Dental work is a luxury.”
Harper and
Melissa Sears of Newport News work in fast food, and dental insurance is
unavailable to them because they are not management. “We have no insurance whatsoever,” said Harper, who has
needed several of his bottom teeth pulled for at least a year. “All the
dentists in Newport News and nobody has an opening. When they do, they want an
arm and a leg to pull teeth.”
Spence went
to the dentist three years ago and was told she needed a half dozen fillings.
“I couldn’t afford it,” she admitted, awaiting an X-ray. “I just heard about
this clinic from a friend last night. I’m really excited about it.”
Community outreach
Dental Access Days was sponsored by local dentists Dag
Zapatero and Albert Konikoff. Both are alums of
the Pankey Institute, a non- profit organization in Key Biscayne, Florida that
promotes oral health care through continuing education.
The community
outreach brought together dentists, hygienists and assistants from all over
Hampton Roads, largely on an appointment basis with a limited number of
walk-ins. Dentist
Dennis Cleckner and his assistant and wife, Carol, were among the volunteers.
The couple from Western Branch said their intent, as always, was to put
patients at ease.
“No matter
where we go, we treat people as if they were our highest paying patients,”
Carol Cleckner said. “I give them hugs, escort them out. I want them to feel
like they’re valued, like we’re all in this together.”
Virginia
Beach’s Nakeasha Johnson appreciated the extra touches. A single mother of
three, including 4-year-old twins, Johnson said fixing teeth can easily be put
on the back burner when money is tight. “You ask
yourself, ‘Can I really put $200 aside for an X-ray?’ ” she said. Johnson has struggled
with her wisdom teeth for the last seven years. The pain worsened three years
ago when half of one tooth cracked off. But her job does not include dental
insurance, so she put off fixing the problem until Saturday. “This is a really
wonderful service,” she said.
Great Bridge’s
Thomas Bakke echoed that sentiment. A licensed truck driver, Bakke has battled
medical problems, losing three jobs in the last five years due to ill health.
“I need nine fillings.”
Wait time was
short for most patients, many of whom left notes of gratitude for the work they
received. It was pouring rain when Johnson got out of the chair, but she didn’t
mind getting drenched on the way to her car. “It’s messy out here, but I just got two teeth pulled,” she
said, showing off a huge smile. “I’m so happy.”
Vicki L.
Friedman, 222-5218, Vicki.Friedman@pilotonline.com
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