USA - Clinic’s shortage of dentists leads to restrictions in care
By DEAN OLSENSTATE
JOURNAL-REGISTER
Posted Aug 23, 2008 @ 12:13 AM
Amanda Tebrugge sat outside the Capitol Community Health Center on Friday, grateful that dentists at the center have pulled 12 of her decayed teeth, two at a time, in the past two years and charged only $15 for each visit.
But she was frustrated when she was unable to secure an appointment to have her three remaining teeth pulled.
That’s because a shortage of dentists — caused by the unexpected loss of one staff dentist and decisions by two new recruits to pull out before their arrival — has prompted the health center’s board to temporarily restrict new dental appointments to patients 20 and younger.
“I’m at the point where I can’t hardly eat at all,” said Tebrugge, 26, of Springfield. Tebrugge, a newspaper carrier and personal caregiver, has no dental insurance. She had hoped to get her remaining teeth pulled so she can receive dentures from a Jacksonville dentist in September.
Tebrugge and hundreds of other low-income adults may have to wait two or three more months.
“I know they’re trying, but I’m getting tired of having to wait,” Tebrugge said.
Most of the center’s 5,300 dental patients are adults.
“Hopefully it doesn’t last too long,” Forrest Olson, the center’s chief executive officer, said of the new policy. “There’s a tremendous need.”
The not-for-profit center at 2239 E. Cook St. doesn’t advertise the low-cost dental program. But word has spread quickly among people covered by Medicaid, who often have problems finding dentists willing to accept Medicaid reimbursements. People without Medicaid, private dental insurance or the money to pay for care from Sangamon County’s 150 private dentists also found the center’s sliding-scale fees more affordable.
Most dental patients at the center pay only $15 per visit, regardless of whether they receive a cleaning, a filling or have teeth pulled.
The center, whose $6 million annual budget comes mainly from federal grants and Medicaid reimbursements, employs eight physicians. As recently as February, Capitol Community also employed three dentists.
All three dentists, in addition to their pay, received the additional benefit of reducing their debts from dental school through a National Health Service Corps program that requires them to serve a disadvantaged population for a certain period of time.
One dentist left when he fulfilled his NHSC obligation. Another left in June when she also fulfilled her obligation. Center officials had mistakenly believed she had another year left, Olson said. About the same time, two newly minted dentists — who Olson thought planned to start work at the center — changed their minds.
It’s hard to retain dentists at a community clinic, Olson said. The center pays young dentists a competitive wage — about $110,000 annually. But in private practice, he said dentists can make more money in the long run, and perform a wider range of services not offered at Capitol, including crowns, bridgework, cosmetic dentistry and procedures requiring sedation.
The center’s board decided to focus the remaining dentist’s time on children and young adults for best long-term results, Olson said.
Patients line up every Friday morning, sometimes an hour or more before the center’s normal 8 a.m. opening time, to set up dental appointments a week in advance. Signs posted at the center this week announcing the shutdown of new appointments for most adults after Sept. 1 added to the anxiety among the patients in line Friday.
Dawn Taielua, 44, of Springfield, said she arrived at 6:30 a.m., hoping to set up a time to get a tooth pulled. The staff opened the doors about 6:45 a.m. Friday to set up appointments for the dozens waiting.
Taielua, a taxi driver who was 29th in line, was told she was too late. All the appointments had been taken.
“Low-income people — sometimes you have to wait longer,” she said. “I can’t complain.”
Springfield resident Douglas Holt, 41, an uninsured clerical worker, was turned away for an appointment for fillings. He said the fillings and tooth extractions provided to him previously by the center were 90 percent cheaper than at a private dentist.
Holt said he plans to be in line next Friday, as early as 5:30 a.m., if necessary.
Tebrugge said she also plans to be in line early.
She said it was much easier to see a dentist when the program first opened.
“It’s affordable, and now that everyone’s learned that they’re there, it’s just too busy,” she said.
The Capitol Community Health Center can be reached at 788-2300.
Dean Olsen can be reached at 788-1543.
The state of Illinois has been fluoridated for decades:NYSCOF
JOURNAL-REGISTER
Posted Aug 23, 2008 @ 12:13 AM
Amanda Tebrugge sat outside the Capitol Community Health Center on Friday, grateful that dentists at the center have pulled 12 of her decayed teeth, two at a time, in the past two years and charged only $15 for each visit.
But she was frustrated when she was unable to secure an appointment to have her three remaining teeth pulled.
That’s because a shortage of dentists — caused by the unexpected loss of one staff dentist and decisions by two new recruits to pull out before their arrival — has prompted the health center’s board to temporarily restrict new dental appointments to patients 20 and younger.
“I’m at the point where I can’t hardly eat at all,” said Tebrugge, 26, of Springfield. Tebrugge, a newspaper carrier and personal caregiver, has no dental insurance. She had hoped to get her remaining teeth pulled so she can receive dentures from a Jacksonville dentist in September.
Tebrugge and hundreds of other low-income adults may have to wait two or three more months.
“I know they’re trying, but I’m getting tired of having to wait,” Tebrugge said.
Most of the center’s 5,300 dental patients are adults.
“Hopefully it doesn’t last too long,” Forrest Olson, the center’s chief executive officer, said of the new policy. “There’s a tremendous need.”
The not-for-profit center at 2239 E. Cook St. doesn’t advertise the low-cost dental program. But word has spread quickly among people covered by Medicaid, who often have problems finding dentists willing to accept Medicaid reimbursements. People without Medicaid, private dental insurance or the money to pay for care from Sangamon County’s 150 private dentists also found the center’s sliding-scale fees more affordable.
Most dental patients at the center pay only $15 per visit, regardless of whether they receive a cleaning, a filling or have teeth pulled.
The center, whose $6 million annual budget comes mainly from federal grants and Medicaid reimbursements, employs eight physicians. As recently as February, Capitol Community also employed three dentists.
All three dentists, in addition to their pay, received the additional benefit of reducing their debts from dental school through a National Health Service Corps program that requires them to serve a disadvantaged population for a certain period of time.
One dentist left when he fulfilled his NHSC obligation. Another left in June when she also fulfilled her obligation. Center officials had mistakenly believed she had another year left, Olson said. About the same time, two newly minted dentists — who Olson thought planned to start work at the center — changed their minds.
It’s hard to retain dentists at a community clinic, Olson said. The center pays young dentists a competitive wage — about $110,000 annually. But in private practice, he said dentists can make more money in the long run, and perform a wider range of services not offered at Capitol, including crowns, bridgework, cosmetic dentistry and procedures requiring sedation.
The center’s board decided to focus the remaining dentist’s time on children and young adults for best long-term results, Olson said.
Patients line up every Friday morning, sometimes an hour or more before the center’s normal 8 a.m. opening time, to set up dental appointments a week in advance. Signs posted at the center this week announcing the shutdown of new appointments for most adults after Sept. 1 added to the anxiety among the patients in line Friday.
Dawn Taielua, 44, of Springfield, said she arrived at 6:30 a.m., hoping to set up a time to get a tooth pulled. The staff opened the doors about 6:45 a.m. Friday to set up appointments for the dozens waiting.
Taielua, a taxi driver who was 29th in line, was told she was too late. All the appointments had been taken.
“Low-income people — sometimes you have to wait longer,” she said. “I can’t complain.”
Springfield resident Douglas Holt, 41, an uninsured clerical worker, was turned away for an appointment for fillings. He said the fillings and tooth extractions provided to him previously by the center were 90 percent cheaper than at a private dentist.
Holt said he plans to be in line next Friday, as early as 5:30 a.m., if necessary.
Tebrugge said she also plans to be in line early.
She said it was much easier to see a dentist when the program first opened.
“It’s affordable, and now that everyone’s learned that they’re there, it’s just too busy,” she said.
The Capitol Community Health Center can be reached at 788-2300.
Dean Olsen can be reached at 788-1543.
The state of Illinois has been fluoridated for decades:NYSCOF
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