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Dental Care Can Be a Matter of Life or Death
Today, an estimated 33,000 residents in Centre County have no dental
insurance. Many simply cannot afford to pay for needed oral
health care. Many of our uninsured friends and neighbors
wager their health against their finances by delaying urgent
care for conditions such as advanced tooth decay and gum
disease. When left untreated, these conditions can exacerbate
other health issues and can result in permanent tooth loss,
septic infections and even death, if not managed. |
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Patients
with advanced tooth decay cannot chew food. Many make dietary decisions
based on pain instead of nutrition. For a diabetic patient, the
results can be deadly. Other patients come to us with oral abscesses
that may require immediate tooth extractions, and still more are
sent to the emergency room with life-threatening septic infections
as a result of untreated dental problems. Regular dental care is
key to detecting and treating oral cancers. Paid and volunteer CVIM
staff has identified several such cases. |
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Patients
with less critical needs fend that dental care is key to
their employment. The economy of Centre County is dependent
upon a vibrant service sector employed to serve food and
drink, greet and assist customers, clean guest rooms and
be ambassadors to the community. These jobs are nearly impossible
to perform without a smile. Patients at CVIM routinely require
5 or more visits to repair and restore salvageable teeth
and literally regain their smiles. The transformations we
provide to our patients are magical.
Since 2003 CVIM has
provided dental care to qualified uninsured families. Between
July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009, CVIM provided over 2,500
dental visits to 970 people. Another 1,600 qualified Centre
County residents are on CVIM’s waiting list for dental
care. Our patients are “the working poor” and
do not qualify for government assistance. CVIM spends approximately
$300,000 per year to provide more than $490,000 worth of
dental services to our patients. We provide emergency exams,
extractions, tooth restorations and dental hygiene thanks
to the generosity of donors like you who care about their
neighbors. |
