Whittier Street Health Center will hold an opening ceremony on Friday, Nov. 21, from 12–2 p.m. to mark the expansion of its dental treatment suites and the debut of a Mobile Dental and Vision Care Clinic. The event will take place at the Frederica M. Williams Building, 1290 Tremont St., Boston.
With support from Altus Dental Insurance, Inc., Whittier’s Dental Department has added three treatment rooms, increasing capacity from 12 to 15. The expansion also includes a new X-ray office and upgraded infection-control facilities.
Whittier says the additional space will help integrate oral health services with primary care and clinical research. Recruitment of new staff began last month, and new services have been phased in since Nov. 3.
Whittier also expanded its Healthcare on Wheels fleet with a wheelchair-accessible 2024 Ford E-450 mobile clinic. The van contains two dental exam rooms and a space for eye exams.
Onboard dental services range from cleanings, fluoride treatment and X-rays to fillings, extractions and select implant procedures. Vision services include annual eye exams for children and adults, dilated exams for high-risk patients, and screenings for chronic eye diseases.
The center emphasized the programs address racial and economic health disparities. Low-income children who lack eye care often struggle academically, and Whittier’s patients face a higher burden of diabetes and related eye and oral health problems. The center noted that diabetes increases the risk of gum disease and tooth loss.
Over the first two years, Whittier expects the mobile unit to deliver about 2,000 dental visits (roughly 1,000 patients) and 2,288 vision visits annually. The health center currently reports a waiting list of about 2,000 patients for dental care and 1,000 for vision appointments.
“We are so excited about this new expansion and sincerely thank Altus Dental for their support in realizing this need, and for their investment in vulnerable communities,” said Frederica M. Williams, Whittier’s president and CEO.
“With this expansion, we are deepening our reach to engage populations who face the greatest barriers to health care and social well-being. In concert, all of our initiatives ensure that every program we lead advances health equity and promotes social, economic, and racial justice.”