Like many dentists, I speak regularly with parents and children about dentistry. After a particularly well attended session in July, I was packing my bags, and I overheard a young child ask her father when she would see a dentist. His sad reply was, “Honey, dentistry is for people who can afford it. We’ll buy you a new toothbrush today.” I do not know if I was meant to overhear that exchange, but I have an answer.
In Massachusetts, particularly in and around Boston some sites offer dental services at little or no cost to those who are not financially able to see a dentist in a private office. Often, only basic care is provided.
That is enough for most of us. Most people only see a dentist for checkups and the occasional simple restoration (filling).
One social safety net that has served the commonwealth for many years is Mass Health. Mass Health administers the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Medicaid. Mass Health offers medical and dental benefits for children and young adults through many clinics and private dental offices. This program is available to residents of Massachusetts who pass a financial needs test (income of no more than 133 to 200 percent of federal poverty levels). If the young lady’s father and mother earn no more than $38,712.00, per year than she would qualify. Information on eligibility and application is available online at www.state.ma.us/dma/, or call the Mass Health Enrollment Center at 1-888-665-9993.
The Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS) offers a new needs-based program for low cost dental care called “Massdentists CARE.” This program is for children of low-income families. Call Andrea DeFeo of the Massachusetts Dental Society for an application at (800)342-8747.�
Boston is fortunate to have three dental schools and two hygiene schools in or near the city. Treatment in a dental school is not usually free, but it is comparatively inexpensive. Fees at Tufts, BU, and Harvard’s dental school clinics are much less than the cost of similar treatment in a private office or clinic. Forsythe and Middlesex hygiene schools provide very inexpensive preventive care; if further treatment is needed you will be referred to the dentist or clinic of your choice. Receiving care in a dental or hygiene school takes longer than in a private office. Students and patients learn together in a cooperative atmosphere. Tufts, Forsythe, Harvard, and BU’s clinics are very easy to reach by public transportation. For more information, contact the school of your choice at the following numbers:
• Boston University Dental School, (617) 638-4700
• The Forsythe Department of Dental Hygiene, (617) 262-5200
• Harvard School of Dental Medicine, (617) 432-1434, menu option #1
For victims of domestic violence, a grant will pay for dental care. Information on this grant is privileged. Only women’s shelters have information on this grant. The treatment sites are secret, and all patients and their records are de-identified to protect their privacy.
Dental Service of Massachusetts, also known as Delta Dental Plan of Massachusetts provides funds for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Reimbursement Grant through their charitable foundation. This generous grant is administered by Dr. Kanchan Ganda of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. Patients with HIV/AIDS receive comprehensive treatment within the dental school clinic all of which is paid for by the Ryan White Grant.
This is not a perfect answer. Mass Health does not cover dental treatment of most adults over the age of 21 except for emergency pain control and tooth extraction. Many clinics that offer free and low cost treatment have long waiting lists. Contact your state representative and senator (in Malden they are Reps. Christopher Fallon, Edward Connelly and Paul Donato, and Sen. Richard Tisei) to make sure that they know how much dental care is valued in their districts.
www.state.ma.us/dma/
