our mission: provide access to care to everyone, including:
School-Aged Children
· Each year, over 51 million school hours are lost due to poor oral health
· Tooth decay is the most common childhood disease – 5X more common than asthma
· Only 23% of Mississippi's practicing dental professionals provide care to patients with Medicaid
· Almost 29% of parents report that their child had not been to the dentist within the last year
· Mississippi has the LOWEST percentage of children with healthy teeth than any other state and ranks the lowest in overall oral health
Long-Term Care Residents
· Mississippi leads the nation in tooth loss among the elderly
· Fewer Mississippians over the age of 65 have regular dental care than any other state
· 62% of nursing home residents present with poor oral hygiene
· 44-76% of nursing home residents with natural teeth have tooth decay
· Oral Health America's A State of Decay gave Mississippi a score of ZERO in the overall oral health of its elderly population
Inmates in Correctional Facilities
Generally, inmates enter the criminal justice system with higher rates of disease than that affecting the broad public. That includes higher rates of often unattended chronic illnesses that some research has concluded is directly linked to poor oral health.
Veterans
Currently, Veterans Affairs only provides dental care to veterans who have a service-related dental problem, are former POWs or are rated as totally disabled as a result of their military service. Under this current law, only about 8% of veterans are eligible for dental care from the VA.
The Fearful or Anxious
- Agoraphobia is the fear of places and situations that might cause panic, helplessness, or embarrassment. Dental appointments can produce anxiety severe enough to substantially disable persons with agoraphobia.
- Portable dentistry removes the barrier of fear of the dental office and provides an opportunity for the anxious patient to receive dental care in the familiar, comfortable setting of home.