FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine — Around fifty individuals benefited from free dental care and consultations during the third annual dental clinic held at the Fort Fairfield Recreation Center June 14 and 15.
In partnership with United Way of Aroostook and Aid For Kids, the Ellsworth-based Caring Hands of Maine Dental Center recruited staff members, students from the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine, and local dental professionals to provide services to folks who might not otherwise have access to regular dental care.
Every year Caring Hands of Maine visits the most rural regions of eastern and northern Maine and has offered clinics in Aroostook County for the past three years. The clinics serve as a crucial resource for adults whose dental needs are not covered by MaineCare or who otherwise cannot afford regular dental care for their children. A lack of dentists also can play a role in keeping people from receiving services, said Dr. Timothy Oh, of Caring Hands of Maine.
“Often in rural areas there is are waiting lists for services and so people who would otherwise receive care fall through the cracks,” Oh said. “By providing clinics in these places we’re helping people receive care and educating them on the importance of oral health.”
Oh also hopes to expose dental students to rural regions of Maine such as Aroostook County, where there is a need for dental professionals, in hopes that they might choose to live and work in those places. He and students also held clinics in Houlton on June 11 and 12, where they saw numerous clients on both days and even had to extend sessions into June 13 because of the great need.
“I had never been to Maine before going on this trip with Caring Hands of Maine, so I jumped at the opportunity,” Akbar Khan, a 4th-year dental student from the University of Connecticut, said Thursday. “I hope that we’re able to see as many people as possible today and give them the type of service they might not otherwise have.”
Chelsea Segrest of Limestone brought her 4-year-old son Cohen to the clinic in Fort Fairfield and saw the trip as an early chance to teach him about dental health.
“We’re in the process of finding a dentist, the clinic seemed like a perfect opportunity for him to see someone now,” Segrest said.
“I brush my teeth every morning and night,” Cohen said, while chatting with Sadie Biter, certified dental assistant from Katahdin Pediatric Dentistry in Bangor, who also told him about the importance of flossing every day.
Many patients who attended Thursday’s clinics were glad to receive dental care that they might not have been able to afford elsewhere or be subject to waiting lists. Rebecca St. John of Presque Isle said that without the clinic she would have had to wait until September to consult with a dentist about pain management.
“The dentist that I normally go to is very busy and I needed immediate help, so it’s great that this clinic became available,” St. John said.
Susan Hartley of Fort Fairfield noted how grateful she was for the organizations and dental professionals who responded to the needs of patients in Aroostook County.
“I’m retired and on a fixed income, so that makes it harder sometimes to afford dental care,” Hartley said. “Just having that six-month or yearly checkup can make all the difference. That’s why I decided to come.”
