Bridging dental care: Regional dental group offers free treatments on Saturday

Dental care has a direct link to overall health, yet about half of the U.S. population doesn’t see a dentist on a regular basis, said Dr. Jeff Henneberg.

The Spokane Valley dentist said he and others in the industry often hear about people ending up in emergency rooms because they never received regular or early treatment for dental problems.

Sometimes it’s from lack of understanding about oral health’s role in overall health. Other times, people simply are unable to afford the cost, Henneberg added. He said even people who have good medical benefits don’t always have dental insurance.

“Often, we hear that emergency rooms are flooded with dental concerns,” said Henneberg, partner in the office of Ellingsen & Henneberg Dental on McDonald Road.

“That’s pretty common knowledge at least in the professional community that people go to where there is no way they can be turned away. Some don’t seek our care because they weren’t raised to know that what’s going on in the mouth is a reflection of what is going on in the body.”

Focusing on the issue, seven regional offices affiliated with Smile Source – a membership-based group of independent dentists – will offer a day of free dental care 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday for people who can’t afford certain treatments. Care will be offered to patients on a first-come, first-served basis.

The dentists and staff will provide extractions, fillings and emergency care limited to one tooth for patients who are ages 18 and older.

Other dentists offering the free dental day locally on Saturday are Dr. Bryan Hill’s office in north Spokane, and Brumbach Family Dentistry in Post Falls. In Washington sate, additional participating practices include ones in Seattle, Bellevue, Puyallup, and Olympia.

More medical providers today seem aware of the link between oral health and ties to potential health issues in the body, Henneberg said.

“With many surgeons now, before someone has a knee or hip replacement, I have to clear them before they can have that done,” he said. “They come to our office and I have to get the bacteria count down because whatever is going on in the mouth is going to get into the bloodstream.”

For example, dentists examine for periodontal disease.

“We can see active infection whether acute in one area or chronic all over. We would need to get that taken care of before there is surgery.”

“It’s because what we now know about bacteria that are in the mouth, how that gets into your bloodstream, and where those problems exist from an infection standpoint. If you’re doing a surgery or replacing a knee, that’s where bacteria will collect.”

That can cause infection and failure in the body where the surgery is being done, he added.

“As dentists, we need to be a little more connected on the whole body instead of just, ‘I have a toothache.’ There is a need out there. Our small giveback is to get people inside our door, and maybe I can help them for a day. It’s not an end-all, but it’s a small service.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the baby boomer generation is the first where a majority of that group will keep their natural teeth over their lifetime. However, tooth loss and gum disease can increase with age, because of less saliva production, receding gums and other issues.

Poor oral care for anyone can lead to many health concerns. Research indicates that when combined with other risk factors, poor oral health might be linked to issues such as heart disease and stroke, possibly due to dislodged oral bacteria entering into the bloodstream.

The CDC estimates that more than one in four adults in the U.S. have untreated tooth decay, and nearly half of all adults aged 30 years or older shows a sign of gum disease.

State information on affordable dental care is available from the Arcora Foundation, previously Washington Dental Service Foundation, and DentistLink at (844) 888-5465. Additional resources are on the Arcora website at https://www.arcorafoundation.org/.

In Spokane, other low-cost dental options include six CHAS clinics that offer dental professionals; and the Elderly Dental Access Program of Aging and Long Term Care of Eastern Washington.