Annual free clinic in southwest Va. highlights big gap in dental-care system for adults

A lack of affordable dental care has long been a problem in rural America, and while health-care reform addresses that shortage for children, it makes little mention of adult dental care. At the annual Remote Area Medical clinic in Wise, Va., most of the 2,347 people who showed up for free care wanted to see a dentist even though a wide range of other medical exames, tests and screenings were offered, Mary Otto reports for The Washington Post. "You still have this big huge hole for adults," dentist Terry Dickinson, who runs the state dental association and volunteers at the clinic, run by Knoxville-based RAM, told Otto.

Public and private dental insurance can be hard to find, even after the passage of health care reform, Otto writes. Some can afford to pay for dental care out of pocket, but for many, like those at the Wise clinic, that is not an option. "For the financially stretched, dental work can take a back seat to other needs, such as food, fuel and housing," Otto reports. (Post photo by Michael S. Williamson of crowd gathered outside gates before opening of clinic)

"It's rugged dentistry," North Carolina dentist Brittany Semones told Otto. "It's rewarding. We get a lot of hugs." Blacksburg, Va., dentist William Huff said, "I came here because people need help desperately. A lot of people are hopeless. Their teeth are beyond what we can restore." While pulling teeth is considered a last resort, it's the grim reality for many of the Wise clinic patients. "We cannot leave these people in pain." Huff told Otto. (Read more)