Dental clinic in Cedar Rapids to help Iowans in need

A woman with a swollen face tearfully entered a free health clinic.

Unemployed, in pain, and in need of a tooth extraction, she was put on a fast track for help, but not everyone sees such immediate relief.

Iowans with gum disease, abscessed teeth and other dental issues often have long waits to see a dentist for free care.

“It's hard to quantify it,” Dr. JoAnn German Wahle said of the dental waiting lists at the Community Health Free Clinic in Cedar Rapids, where she volunteers and where the woman needing an extraction was seen.

About 150 people are on a list for urgent needs, with waits of two to three months, she said. Another list for general dental treatment has hundreds of patients, with waits of six to nine months.

Antibiotics and nonprescription pain medications are often used until the root problems can be addressed, she said.

The situation is similar in Iowa City.

“The need is much, much greater than we could ever meet,” said Sandy Pickup, co-director of the Iowa City Free Medical Clinic.

The clinic's Dick Parrott Free Dental Clinic schedules appointments one month at a time and always fills up, she said.

Clinic leaders hope to put a dent in that need when the Iowa Mission of Mercy comes to Cedar Rapids next month.

The event is a free dental clinic for children and adults from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 5 and 6 at the U.S. Cellular Center.

Dr. David Davidson, president-elect of the Iowa Dental Association, said patients start waiting the night before.

“It's like a rock concert before we open,” he said of the expected line.

At the two previous clinics, in Waterloo and Newton, a total of 2,800 patients received $1.4 million in free dental care.

Patients are seen on a first-come, first-served basis. Organizers expect to help more than 1,500 people in Cedar Rapids.

An older woman with a broken tooth, a young man who needed his wisdom teeth pulled and people of all ages with cavities found help at last year's clinic.

Davidson said the clinic targets patients with no dental insurance, but no proof of income or other paperwork is required.

Dr. Bob Russell, dental director for the Iowa Department of Public Health, said about 30 percent of adult Iowans do not have dental insurance, compared to about 10 percent without health insurance.

Even people with insurance might be unable to afford co-pays, he said.

Russell noted that Medicare does not cover dental care, leaving many seniors in need.

A majority of Iowa dentists accept Medicaid patients. But because dentists lose money on each Medicaid patient, they often limit the numbers they can treat, he said.

Complications of diabetes and other diseases can intertwine with dental problems, such as gum disease, Russell said, underscoring the importance of preventive care.

It's not uncommon for free clinic patients to go years without seeing a dentist and need eight or more cavities filled, said Kris Swalla, dental coordinator at the Community Health Free Clinic. Only two or three teeth can be filled at a time, with months between each visit, she said.

Both the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City clinics are encouraging patients to go to the Mission of Mercy, where they stand a better chance of getting work done in one day.

Dr. Patricia Meredith, dental chief for the Iowa Mission of Mercy, said Cedar Rapids was chosen because people are still recovering from the 2008 flood.

About 200 dentists and 1,200 volunteers will help at the event with cleanings, extractions and fillings. The University of Iowa College of Dentistry will send about 100 dental students, staff and faculty members.

A limited number of replacement teeth can be made, but dentures, crowns and bridges will not be available.

One hundred dental chairs will be set up in the U.S. Cellular Center.

Last year, a 97-year-old woman arrived early to have a cavity filled, Meredith said. “People who are willing to wait overnight in line are people who need care,” she said.