Anthem Medicaid hosts first ‘Dental Days’ clinic in Pike County

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (WYMT) – Anthem Kentucky Medicaid hosted its first ‘Dental Days’ clinic of 2022, a part of their “Brighter Smiles, Brighter Futures” campaign, at the Mountain Comprehensive Care Center’s HomePlace Clinic in Pikeville on Saturday.

The goal of the clinic was to offer quick and easy access to dental care for those who may be in need of a checkup, cleaning, or quick procedure by the Kare Mobile Dentistry Clinic.

“We think about teeth as, a lot of times, expendable. If it hurts our first thing is to pull it out and there are reasons for that,” said Dr. Whitney James, a dentist with the Kare Mobile Dentistry Clinic.

Some waiting lists for dental clinics are long and others do not have the financial means to pay for a visit, so Anthem ensured the clinic was free to its members.

“The waiting list is long, the access to care is pretty rough at times, so we’re just trying to help some people while they’re waiting to get into those other places,” said Dr. James.

Along with a free checkup, cleaning, or quick procedure, those who attended the clinic also received other items such as a sonic toothbrush, floss, and other resources to keep their smile healthy.

“They show up here, we get them registered, we have a table with some information, with toothbrushes, and dental floss,” said Anthem Public Health Consultant Grace Nelson, “It’s important for our members to have their dental health care needs met, it can help with their self-image, their nutrition, and it can benefit them in an overall health standpoint.”

Nelson also said the CDC reported that 60% of Kentuckians had not visited a dentist in the past year.

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