The Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades has received grant funding to allow more low-income patients to obtain much-needed dental care.

Far too many low-income patients go without dental care because it’s usually not covered by Medicare and patients without insurance often can’t afford a dental visit, said Katherine Mastrangelo, Volunteers in Medicine executive director. Dental health is vitally important to those with diabetes because the disease makes patients more prone to mouth infections, Mastrangelo said. Volunteers in Medicine provides health care to low-income, working adults in Central Oregon who lack medical insurance.

Two $10,000 grants will make dental services available to about 60 patients, Mastrangelo said. In addition to having a hygienist on staff, the grants also will enable the clinic to purchase flossing equipment and electric toothbrushes to give to patients.

The grants come from Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation and the Papé Family Foundation.

Dental care will begin with in-clinic services, according to a clinic statement. A contracted dental hygienist will provide the initial cleaning, X-rays and assessment.

“Dental services are the biggest unmet needs we have,” Mastrangelo said. “We have a small program than can take patients on referral, but we know we have to increase our efforts.”

The clinic also has dentists on its roster that it can refer patients to, but the wait is long. Some of the wait is attributed to a shortage of dental practitioners and dental hygienists, Mastrangelo said.

At Mosaic Community Health, a health care center serving underserved populations regardless of the ability to pay, dental services are also in high demand particularly for low-income individuals, said Dr. José Javier, community health director of dental services. Cost of care is often the biggest area of need, but so is transportation, language and lack of options, Javier said.

“The recent decrease in health care staff has affected the dental field as well, making it even more difficult for patients to receive services in a timely fashion,” Javier said. “Mosaic continues to look for ways to ease the burden and provide dental care services in Central Oregon.”

Volunteers in Medicine of the Cascades has been around for 20 years providing charitable health care and pharmacy services by tapping into a community of about 200 in-clinic volunteers and 300 local medical partners to provide patients with primary and speciality care, prescription medicine and mental health services. Patient costs are funded by patient donations and foundation support.