MORGANTOWN — Morgan Bland is a physician assistant student whose lack of dental insurance has made her appreciate Healthy Smiles Day, in which Monongalia County Health Department Dentistry staff members provide dental cleanings and checkups to adults without dental insurance.
Bland, of Westover, was a return patient on Wednesday during the annual event, which has been held since 2019, on the day before Thanksgiving.
As a physician assistant student, she understands the importance of dental care, but without insurance, she has just been seeing the dentist once a year at MCHD Dentistry.
It makes her feel guilty for not having the recommended twice-a-year appointments, she said, but the providers at MCHD Dentistry never make her feel that way.
“They are always so friendly and helpful,” Bland said.
MCHD Dentistry participates in the American Dental Association’s Give Kids a Smile! event each February, a time providers offer the same care to uninsured adults.
It’s a day that Monongalia County Health Department is open but not usually busy in terms of regular dental appointments, so it’s a great time to offer these services, said program manager Dr. Youseph Kassar.
MCHD Dentistry created Healthy Smiles Day in 2019, and, in spite of the COVID pandemic, saw 24 patients in 2020, and then 30 in 2021, 26 in 2022 and 30 in 2023. This year’s tally was 26 patients, which worked out well considering Gov. Jim Justice extended the Thanksgiving holiday to Wednesday afternoon for state employees.
The event was created before Medicaid began providing up to $1,000 annually in dental benefits to adult patients, which has now changed to $2,000 in a two-year period.
“A couple of years ago, we were unsure if the new Medicaid benefit for adult patients would mean fewer patients taking advantage of Healthy Smiles Day, but that was not the case,” Kassar said. “I guess it shows there’s still a need for patients who are being left behind.”
Patients receive a cleaning and checkup and, if needed, they also might be able to get same-day restorative work performed, depending on the time required and other circumstances.
The addition of dentist Dr. Kayla Courtney will help with the patient load and make restorative work even more likely, Dr. Kassar said.
More than 1 in 4 (26%) adults in the United States have untreated tooth decay. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly half of all adults age 30 or older show signs of gum disease; severe gum disease affects about 9% of adults. Adults who have a low income, have less than a high school education and are current smokers are two times more likely to have untreated cavities than comparison groups, the CDC states.
Gum disease also increases the risk of having bacterial infection in the bloodstream, which can damage heart valves. The American Heart Association notes that research has shown a connection between heart disease and periodontal disease, the symptoms of which include gum infection, gum inflammation and tooth damage.
MCHD Dentistry is the only full-service dental practice located within a West Virginia health department. Services include cleanings, exams, oral health education, oral cancer screenings, digital X-rays, dental sealants, mouth guards, simple extractions, root canals, bridges, same-day crowns, implants, dentures and partials, custom bleaching trays, cosmetic bonding and more.
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