During the health care debate in Congress, we’ve heard countless stories about people who live without health insurance and let problems go untreated until they become emergencies. We hear less about the lack of access to dental care, which can impact a person’s overall health. Millions of adults and children – often in rural and inner-city areas – cannot afford to visit the dentist, so problems worsen. Today, a clinic for low-income residents holds an open house at its new location on Milwaukee’s south side, on 13th Street. The St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Dental Clinic used to be located in a basement a few blocks away. WUWM’s Erin Toner visited the brand new facility and met people of all ages needing prompt attention.
Five-year-old Jaliyah Anderson is reclining in a big blue chair for her first dental checkup ever. She’s wearing sunglasses to dim the spotlight shining on her face. Jaliyah’s dentist, Paul Kustermann, starts the appointment by comforting the little girl.
“You got all dressed up to come to Dr. Paul’s today. I like your pink outfit. I’ll show you some of our stuff because it’s new to you. This is an air gun. Look at that! And watch this, this is kind of a secret, it shot water! So it goes air and water,” Kustermann says.
Jaliyah came to the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Dental Clinic today after finding out in school that she had a few cavities. The program is called Smart Smiles, and its paid and volunteer staff travel to dozens of Milwaukee elementary schools every year to clean and seal kids’ teeth, and teach them how to brush and floss properly. If there are problems, the staff refers children for immediate care to their family dentist, if they have one, or in Jaliyah’s case, to the Seton clinic. The care here is free for people with incomes within 150 percent of the federal poverty level.
Jaliyah’s mom, Jasmine Anderson, is sitting in the corner of the exam room with her two-year-old son on her lap.
“I called and scheduled and made an appointment. That was good that they did it at the school cause I couldn’t get in nowhere else cause they weren’t accepting new patients, and she needed immediate care cause she kept complaining about her teeth,” Anderson says.
“I’m sorry to hear we’re having a toothache. Can you put your finger on where the toothache was? Oh yeah. Well, we probably can help you with that, OK? We can’t do it right today, but I’ll take a look and then we’ll plan a time next time and we’ll fix it for you,” Kustermann says.
“Over 75 percent of the children that we see have untreated carries, so they need to have cavities worked on,” Nelson says.
Liz Nelson oversees the Smart Smiles program.
“Also, 5 to 7 percent have urgent care needs. That means there’s an infection or other urgent…an abscess, maybe a broken, cracked tooth, something that needs attention within 48 hours,” Nelson says.
Nelson says untreated tooth infections can spread throughout the body, and poor dental care can damage a person’s overall health.
Children who come here can get comprehensive dental care. But the clinic only provides urgent care for adults, and Manager Kasey Bruch-Nenn says most arrive in pretty bad shape.
“Generally, the people that come for urgent care, they haven’t plugged themselves into the dental system in quite some time. They’ve been referred by hospital emergency rooms, they may be homeless people living in shelters; they’re just newly released from jail. So it’s people who don’t have access to dental care,” Bruch-Nenn says.
Bruch-Nenn says usually, the only good option is to pull the infected tooth.
The Seton Dental Clinic is funded in part by the United Way of Greater Milwaukee. Columbia St. Mary’s also underwrites a good portion of the services. The clinic does not accept insurance – most of its patients don’t have it anyway. It does get some reimbursement from certain patients enrolled in Wisconsin’s BadgerCare program, but the clinic says all those sources together don’t come close to covering the cost of care for all those in need.
Bruch-Nenn says she wishes there were resources to help everyone, especially when people like Nicole Gottschalk walk through the door. She’s a 27-year-old college student.
“I have a very, very bad upper right molar pain and you know, I feel like had I had insurance, actually I wouldn’t be in this situation because I would’ve…they would’ve caught it before, and now, I’m going to have to have a root canal, I’m pretty sure of that, Gottschalk says.
Gottschalk was hoping to get it done here, today, but she’s been told the clinic doesn’t do root canals. She says she’ll have to smile through the pain, especially around her family.
“I don’t really want them, I don’t know, cause, taking care of your teeth was a big thing with my family, you know. And they paid a lot for orthodontics, and so, I don’t know, I don’t want to disappoint them, almost,” Gottschalk says.
The staff here tells Gottschalk she will be able to see a dentist and perhaps get medication to dull the pain. But otherwise, she gets information about other community clinics that may be able to help her.
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