WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — For many, regular dental check-ups are a routine part of life since childhood. But for low-income families without dental insurance, maintaining dental health can be a significant financial burden.
Enter the Wilmington Rotary Club. Over the past few weeks, the Rotary Club has organized three free dental clinics for children at St. Mary Health Center.
According to Laura Vinson, Executive Director of St. Mary Health Center, the facility was established to provide medical care to those who cannot afford it.
“St. Mary Health Center was established to be able to help people that are 200% below the federal poverty guideline, or people that fall under the cracks,” Vinson explained.
While the health center serves adults without insurance year-round, retired dentist and Rotary Club member Coleman Burgess noted that the club has been organizing free dental clinics for children for years.
“We’ve gone to the school system in New Hanover County, in particular Williston, Mary C. Williams, and Sunset, and asked the social workers and the teachers to help us identify patients who don’t have Medicaid coverage, have no other resources to pay for dental care,” Burgess said.
Burgess emphasized the importance of early dental care for children.
“For many of these patients, or I should say most of them, they’ve had no opportunity to have dental care prior to coming to this clinic. So, it’s an important thing in the life of a kid to get their teeth checked, but it’s also helping them understand that they need professional help,” Burgess explained.
For parents who may have missed the free clinic, another one will be held at the St. Mary Health Center on March 16.
