Norfolk clinic provides affordable dental care for underserved

The clinic gives cost-effective oral care to uninsured and underserved inhabitants in Hampton Streets.

NORFOLK, Va. — A local volunteer clinic is supplying its sufferers additional than a single cause to smile. 

“When you have a very good smile, a wholesome smile, that radiates. And you move it forward,” said Amanda Wright, govt director of Park Place Dental Clinic in Norfolk.

The clinic provides economical oral care to uninsured and underserved residents in Hampton Roads.

“We offer extractions, fillings, cleanings, exams, x-rays, all for $25 per appointment,” Wright reported. “We also do partials and dentures. Our partials are $100 each and every, and dentures are $200 for each arch.”

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Dental perform is done by learners who are overseen by a volunteer certified dentist.

“We benefit from VCU dental pupils who are in the fourth yr of their plan. We use ODU cleanliness learners, as well,” Wright said.

In addition to oral care, the clinic performs to share dental education and learning in the group. 

“Your oral treatment is very important for your full physique,” Wright mentioned. “It sales opportunities to every thing. Blood stress troubles, diabetic issues, it all relates to… it all stems from oral health and fitness.”

Wright claimed staff emphasizes the relevance of regimen and preventative treatment, not just dealing with agony.

“We do go out to elementary schools and teach youngsters how to brush and floss,” Wright explained. “We go to regional wellness fairs… We hand out very little tooth fairy pillows. Regardless of what we can do to educate the group about oral wellbeing. You’ve got acquired to get started when they’re very little!”

Give Neighborhood 757 has been a very important useful resource to the clinic, Wright explained, assisting to include gear prices and preserve appointment costs reduced.

“Certainly, we have volunteer dentists. Yes, we have the VCU and the ODU pupils,” Wright explained. “But we however have to obtain factors. The supplies that we need for the fillings. We have to buy the provides that we need to have to make the dentures, to do the relines. To pay the small staff that we have.”

Wright said she is grateful for her personnel and volunteers who love what they do and develop trusting interactions with individuals.

“We are very substantially a staff. We are extremely substantially a family,” Wright reported. “We consider to make it a entertaining surroundings.”

“Skilled affected person care will come initial. Even our sufferers, nevertheless, have enjoyable,” Wright mentioned. “They appreciate coming here, and it will make them want to come back.”

Simply click below for extra info about eligibility and appointments. You can also call 757-683-2692.

The clinic is accepting a lot more volunteer dentistry pros. Simply click below to indication up. You can also observe the clinic on Facebook.

Editor’s Notice: This year’s Give Area 757 Working day will be Tuesday, April 25, 2023, and will go for 24 hrs starting at 10 a.m. In the course of that time, you can pay a visit to Give Regional 757’s web site to locate a group to assistance. The moment you might be there, you can lookup for an firm by identify, by area, or by lead to. When you locate the team you want or like, you can seem at its profile or just click on on “Donate.”