What: Chicago Dental Society Foundation Dental Clinic Open House
Where: 416 E. Roosevelt Rd. in Wheaton, Ill. The clinic is located in the Wheaton Professional Arts Building.
When: 1 pm to 4 pm, Sunday, June 9
Why: Access to affordable dental care is a significant public health problem in the Chicago area. Over the past five years, the city of Chicago has closed all its dental clinics. According to a report conducted by the Chicago Dental Society in 2011, there is currently one clinic for every 11,400 Medicaid enrollees in Chicago.
Dental care has not fared better at the county level, either. In 2000, the Cook County Department of Public Health served nearly 12,000 dental patients. In 2007, the county closed half of its dental clinics, resulting in fewer than 5,000 patients being seen in 2009.
Background: The (CDSF) Dental Clinic serves residents of Cook, Lake and DuPage counties. Patients must have proof of residency; they must be unable to get insurance; and they must show proof of income no greater than 200% of the poverty level. The clinic manager will work closely with the health department’s referral programs and urgent care clinics to serve eligible patients.
Licensed volunteer dentists and hygienists will provide basic primary dental care aimed at alleviating pain and restoring oral health, with a holistic approach to oral health education. Treatment will be provided with compassion and cultural sensitivity in a cordial clinical setting. Services include oral examinations, teeth cleaning, inter-oral and panoramic x-rays, basic restorations, and carefully evaluated extractions.
The Chicago Dental Society Foundation also operates a website where people can find locations of free or low-cost dental clinics: http://www.cds.org/Clinics/
About the CDS Foundation: The CDS Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Chicago Dental Society, a membership association for dentists in the metro Chicago area. Over the past 10 years, the foundation and its parent society have donated more than $4 million to support access to care and dental education, including funding to more than 50 dental clinics. Find out more about the foundation at www.cdsfound.org.
CDS Foundation Clinic sponsors are: Chicago Dental Society Foundation, Planmeca USA, Inc.,Community Bank Wheaton/Glen Ellyn, Patterson Dental, SciCan Ltd., .LM-Instruments, Wheaton Oaks Office Partners, LTD, Wintrust Financial, Harry J. Bosworth Company, Hu- Friedy, Beron Design Group, Inc., PDQ Maintenance, Inc. and Ultradent