Levora Taylor drives from the Metro East to A.T. Still University Missouri School of Dentistry and Oral Health for her oral healthcare. Taylor considers the school of dentistry the top oral healthcare center she has ever visited.
“They really care and make sure the work is done properly,” Taylor said.
“This is to address the vast disparity of poor health care in St. Louis,” said Dr. Dwight McLeod, who serves as the university’s dean.
Part of the university’s mission is to serve low-income patients, and it has partnered with Affinia Healthcare to provide convenient access to affordable, quality oral care since 2015.
Located near the Clinton Peabody Housing Projects, A.T. Still University is by far the best option for many patients.
“This is to address the vast disparity of poor health care in St. Louis,” said Dr. Dwight McLeod, who serves as the university’s dean. “Students at the dental school are provided with a diverse learning and training environment caring for patients from all ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.”
The dental school clinic is within a federally-qualified health center, which is unique according to Dr. Poonam Jain, vice dean of Clinical Affairs and Advanced Dental Education.
The partnership with Affinia allows low-income patients to receive federally-qualified health center fees. Patients of the dental school are also patients of Affinia Health Care Center.
“No Affinia HealthCare patient is turned away and uninsured patients get our lowest fees,” Jain said.
Programs like the Missouri Smile Forward Grant help financially challenged individuals receive top-quality care. The grant allows students to perform the work that patients need.
“This is a win-win for our patients and students,” said McLeod.
However, because so many St. Louisans are impacted by poverty, the grant funds are running low.
“I wholeheartedly ask everyone who can donate to this grant to please do so,” said Jain.
So here’s how the grant works:
-The university pays half of the price of the dental work needed.
-The students perform the dental care required.
-Patients who still can’t afford the lowest price are treated, regardless of the amount of dental work done or the total cost.
“Our patients can’t afford sophisticated treatments, even at our lowest cost,” said Jain.
“We’re giving away dental care at a significant cost to ourselves.”
The grant allows students to have multi-dentistry training experience because they work on all dental and oral health care needs. The goal of the dental school is to train students to work on the entire spectrum of the mouth.
“Oral health is an important part of whole person health,” McLeod said.
He said that 56.2% of patients come from St. Louis city, 35.5% come from St. Louis County, 2.3% come from St. Charles County, 2% come from Jefferson County, and 4.1% come from other areas including the Metro East.
A.T. Still University’s Coming to Service Project serves veterans at no cost, thanks to generous donations. The project has made 1,400 pairs of dentures. Students, staff, and alumni have all donated their time to make the dentures. The university also has a program in Dexter Missouri, treating patients in rural eastern Missouri.
The dental and oral health care school not only serves those in need financially but also helps patients who have a language barrier. Free translators are provided, via the web, or over the phone. Staff at the clinic have translated medical questionnaire forms into nine languages, including Bosnian, Afghan, Arabic, and Spanish.
“It’s very interesting to see how diverse our patients are,” said Jain.
McLeod said 56 languages are spoken at the university, and he believes treating patients from all backgrounds can help dentists understand the benefits of diversity.
Jain and McLeod want to bring more diversity to the profession and increase the number of students who are underrepresented in the field of dentistry.
A new program called the Advanced International Dental Program, which Jain helped create, is already underway to help achieve this goal. The program is designed for dentists licensed outside of the U.S. but coming to the States to access the dental profession here.
“I want the St. Louis dental center to be home for all dental patients,” said McLeod.
Ashley Winters is a Report for America reporter for the St. Louis American.