Demand for free dental care increasing in Pennsylvania
A free clinic in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, is being swamped by growing demand for free dental treatment.
The Volunteers in Medicine Free Health Clinic has been running for eight months and staff have experienced a rapid growth in the number of patients coming to them for free dental care.
The clinic has treated hundreds of people over the course of the last eight months, yet the number still waiting for care is overwhelming. Staff say they are approached by a range of people, including those in full time employment, who do not have any health or dental insurance benefits at work, those without any insurance and the unemployed; clients must have a personal income of less than $21,660 and a family of four must have a total income of less than $44,100 to qualify for help.
Kathi Caber, the executive director of the clinic, also said there has been an influx of patients who have recently become unemployed and are living on redundancy payouts; claiming redundancy pay means that people cannot claim assistance for medical and dental costs.
The clinic now has an ever-growing waiting list and is appealing for more volunteers to help out at the centre.
Join this Discussion