Samaritan Clinic opened its new dental offices at the Jackson Street location last week.
The on-site clinic has been accepting patients for about three weeks. Lynn Chavez, a registered dental hygienist, recently joined the team as dental services coordinator, said Kelly Hines, executive director of Samaritan Clinic.
The new offices expand a dental program the clinic has offered at the Central Education Center since 2013. “We started the dental program because we saw a need,” Hines said. Whenever a new patient joins the clinic, doctors perform a full head-to-toe assessment.
“Dr. Kay Crosby, our medical director, always says, ‘There’s not a mouth I look in that doesn’t need some sort of dental assistance,’” Hines said.
Studies have long shown that dental health is closely linked to overall health. Patients who come in with abscesses or other dental problems benefit from having care available on-site, Hines said.
The clinic initially partnered with West Georgia Technical College and the Central Education Center to create the dental program. During designated evenings, students from the college, along with volunteer dentists, provide care in the school labs.
“We’ve held dental clinics two to four nights a month every year since then, but it never fully met the demand,” Hines said.
Over two years ago, the clinic’s board and staff began exploring unused and underused offices at the Jackson Street location for dental services. The site seemed ideal, as patients were already comfortable visiting the clinic.
A capital fundraising campaign helped renovate the Jackson Street offices. About $300,000 went toward converting the space for dental care. In addition, the clinic received donated equipment, including a digital panoramic X-ray machine from a local pediatric dentist who had upgraded his equipment.
“This machine is fully functional and something we would have had to pay $15,000 to $20,000 for, maybe more,” Hines said. “The donation was incredible for us.”
Dr. Tom Moynahan, known as the clinic’s dental champion, has volunteered for years. “We provide everything except specialized dentistry,” he said. “No orthodontics or root canals, but general restorative dentistry, oral surgery, and hygiene care like cleanings and periodontal treatments.”
For patients who require specialized procedures, such as root canals, the clinic can refer them elsewhere. “We are limited by our volunteer resources, so we take one step at a time,” Moynahan said.
He believes the new, bright, and well-equipped dental rooms will attract more volunteer dentists. “We can provide top-quality care to patients while making volunteering enjoyable,” Moynahan said. “Once dentists start volunteering, they usually return. With this facility, we hope to expand our volunteer base and continue growing our services.”
