Florida set for new dental clinic
A plan to create a new eight chair dental clinic on the site of an old hospital has been approved by Okaloosa County commissioners.
The new clinic will be built at the old Fort Walton Beach Hospital and will cost $263,000; the project will be funded by Okaloosa County. The Veterans Services Department is also preparing to go into the old hospital.
The new dental clinic is part of the ongoing effort to improve access to affordable dental care for children in the south of Florida; figures showed that Florida is one of the worst states, in terms of providing affordable dental care for children. Health Director, Dr Karen Chapman, said that the demand for affordable care was much higher than the supply and there was a severe shortage of dentists providing reduced rate treatment.
The worrying statistics from the Pew report, which confirm a severe shortage of affordable dental care for children, have encouraged dentists and officials to rally together to try and improve the situation across the state. An increasing number of people are struggling to afford dental care due to increasing costs and problems resulting from the global recession; many people have lost their jobs and are no longer covered by insurance policies. For many, the costs associated with family dental care are simply too high and consequently people are putting off going to the dentist.
The new practice in Okaloosa County will help to provide affordable dental care for children in the south of the county. Building will start soon and it is hoped that the practice will be ready to open at the end of next summer.
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