Lining Up For Free Dental Care

With A Third Of Americans Lacking Dental Insurance, Free Clinics Become Only Hope For Many

(CBS)  Going to the dentist can be a painful experience. But for many, the real pain comes when trying to pay for it. More than 100 million Americans don't have dental insurance. That's more than one-third of Americans. What can they do? CBS News correspondent Seth Doane found one answer, as part of his continuing series on The Other America.

---

Even before dawn, some people have been waiting for hours.

When Doane visited the line outside a free dental clinic, he asked "what time did you guys get here?"

"One o'clock," a group said.

Others have waited for years just to see a dentist. It's a luxury the uninsured can't afford.

"Oh gosh, no way," one said. The other: "Way too expensive."

But in Loveland, Colo., for two days only, dental care is free.

Bruce Bergstrom, head of America's Dentists Care Foundation, organizes free dental clinics around the country. Everywhere he goes, he sees the need.

At 5 a.m. the line wraps around a block.

"Isn't that tragic?" Bergstrom said. "It really is. To me it's tragic."

With an exhibit hall transformed into a massive dental clinic, they do what they can: cleanings, fillings, extractions, root canals - all for free.

Eight hundred volunteers, including 113 dentists, have donated time and skill - and pay their own way.

"This is costing you a lot," Doane said to volunteer pedicatric dentist John Fales.

"Yeah, it is, but it's just a way to give back," he said.

Fales closed his Kansas City office for a few days and flew five members of his staff to the clinic.

One of his first patients is 8-year-old Jericho Rogers, who was up at 2 a.m. to get there.

"He says he hasn't seen a dentist in three or four years - are you surprised by looking at his mouth?" Doane said.

"No, not at all," Fales said. "There's a lot of children running around in the United States that have cavities just like this - and mostly just for lack of good dental insurance coverage."

Jericho's parents need help, too. His mom's job at a sandwich shop doesn't provide dental.

If she had to have six cavities filled by a dentist and pay for it, what would she have to pay?

"Probably over $1,000," said dentist Stephanie Kaufmann.

"A thousand dollars? That's my rent payment a month - so, it's either rent or get my teeth fixed … well, I'm going to go for a roof over my head!" Cindy Rogers said.

---

Read more about Seth's story at Couric & Co. Blog

---

Her husband, Richard, has a mouth full of problems, too. A job in a lumber store that doesn't cover it and a price tag he can't afford.

"Oh, no way," he said. "I'd have to sell my car to pay for that."

About 1,500 patients were treated that day - and given more than $1.2 million worth of care

"I can't afford this expense," said Mandy Lujan, who brought her toddler in. "So it's a blessing to be able to bring her here and have the work done that we need to have done."

A trip to the dentist is nothing anyone looks forward to, but for those who can't afford to go at all, a little pain doesn't hurt at all.


© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Add a Comment See all 20 Comments

by bb19631 July 23, 2008 8:02 PM PDT

I applaude these dentists, a job well done to help the non-insured people. Professionals should do this more often, pro-bono work. After all you went to college to get a degree to help people, Am I right?

Reply to this comment

by barbaraf4 July 23, 2008 8:10 PM PDT

Wonderful story!

Reply to this comment

by nyscof July 23, 2008 8:30 PM PDT

It''s wonderful that these dentists do this but the rest of the year, 80% of dentists refuse Medicaid patients. And the American Dental Association and its state affiliate groups lobby states and Congress not to allow any viable group to fill the void.

Fluoridation is a huge failure but dentists keep pushing it because they know it''s keeping governement off their backs. It''s time that instead of dentists mandating fluoride in our water, legislators must mandate dentists actually treat more Mediciad and un-insured Americans all year long. If they won''t, it''s time to train Dental Therapists to do the job. DTs have worked for decades in developed countries doing the same work as dentists - only cheaper and in areas where dentists refuse to go. It only takes two of three years training. Let''s get on with it.

Reply to this comment

by bridan212 July 23, 2008 8:55 PM PDT

I am a registered nurse working in the field of community health for The North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System. Specifically, I work for N.O.R.C. (Naturally Occuring Retirement Communities) programs in Queens and Nassau. These Supportive Snior Programs programs are state and federally funded as well as supported by generous contributions from private foundations who believe strongly in the concept of aging in place while remaining as independent as possible. The NSLIJHS has been providing free dental services to seniors in five of these N.O.R.C.s through the NSLIJ MOBILE DENTAL UNIT. which was made possible by an 18 month grant from the United Way. This invaluable service has made a difference in the level of dignity and quality of life for a number of senior members in the community. You don''t need a Hollywood smile to feel like a million bucks!

Reply to this comment

by ratchow1962 July 23, 2008 9:24 PM PDT

This a really a terrific story.I commend the dentists who would donate their time to provide dental care to the less fortunate in America.

Watching this on the news tonight reminds me that here in Canada,the national health insurance plan called Medicare does not cover dental treatments.
if you cannot afford to buy private health insurance here or receive this insurance through your job which is how I get my dental coverage,then you are screwed
and have to pay it our of your own pocket.

Reply to this comment

by Laura10966 July 23, 2008 9:49 PM PDT

nyscof had and has a very valid point. Although this event is terrific, why can''t and don''t more dentist nationwide do low or no income work? I realize you enjoy your $300,000 home and the prestige that goes with a degree of DDS; Orthodontist; Oral Surgeon, etc, but most of us are very blue collar, or low income households.........health/dental insurance is a luxury we dream about but can not afford.

Reply to this comment

by sistatee-2009 July 23, 2008 10:55 PM PDT

The rich don''t have to wait in line for a dentist, so what''s the problem?

Reply to this comment

by ubrew12 July 23, 2008 11:21 PM PDT

ratchow1962 said: "here in Canada, if you cannot afford to buy private [dental] health insurance here or receive this insurance through your job...then you are screwed "

Gosh, sounds positively American.

Reply to this comment

by mgrish58 July 23, 2008 11:51 PM PDT

This story brought tears to my eyes. I have struggled for years with the prohibitive costs of dental care, both with and without insurance. In the last year I had over $10,000 worth of dental work done and more than half of that was my out of pocket due to low coverage that my insurance provided and costs that were considered above "reasonable" charges.

Kudos to the dentists, assistants and voluteers of this program. Dental health is just as important as medical health.

Reply to this comment

by d83000 July 24, 2008 12:03 AM PDT

Maybe if you got the lawyers off the medical industry''s back so they wouldn''t have to pay out huge sums of $$ for insurance the price care would drop down to reasonable levels.

Lets face it... if your *** life is ruined because some doctor looked at you cross-eyed it seriously isn''t worth 10M dollars! Oh, wait.... 8M of that 10M went to the ambulance chaser that talked you into that law suit in the first place!

Reply to this comment

by sociald63 July 24, 2008 12:13 AM PDT

THANK you, dr bergstrom

Reply to this comment

by rory armee armaugh July 24, 2008 7:40 AM PDT

The one political candidate,who had dedicated the time, thought, effort, money and reputation, and stood up to public ridicule, to solving the health care crisis, a grevious sin on America''s soul, was defeated recently, and the winner, hasn''t an incling of her importance at securing the Presidency.
With her solutions to healthcare, and stopping the defection of supporters most likely will fill in the void for McCain (a candidate that was more or less a corpse at this very time, last year) and bringing his campaign to a natural tipping point.
Conventional wisdom would have Barack searching out a running mate sure to bring home the bacon on this issue and securing the presidency.
With the depressive economic woes,the enviournment,National security,the volitle political temperture in the Middle East surfacing recently, what should be topping off this list is affordable healthcare for all Americans.
Hillary, a dedicated humanitarian, has a prospect at solving this nagging wound to America''s lower and sinking middle classes(and without a middle class...you have no DEMOCRACY) and by doing so most likely making a lasting indelable mark in the coming four years.

Reply to this comment

by papurdy July 24, 2008 10:29 AM PDT

It is a shame, that so many need dental care in this country and can not afford. Am one of the lucky ones at least have some insurance, but my co-pays are so high can not afford to go to dentist. Why is it that these dentist that are doing a great thing at these clinics can not do it in their home towns, It does not make sense to me, My guess is it has something additional to do with insurance company''s and the bottom line.

Reply to this comment

by mswolfestock July 24, 2008 10:40 AM PDT

SUGGESTION - If you live within a reasonable distance from a dentistry school, check it out.

I am lucky enough to live in a town with a University Health Sciences Center, which has a medical school, dental school, nursing school, and pharmacy school.

Teaching hospitals and dental schools usually offer services at a discount - they only have to cover their costs - there is no overhead like there would be with a private dental practice.

Dental students and oral hygiene students offer treatments under the supervision of the instructors who are all Board Certified DDS''s and PhD''s.

I have been seeing the same DDS at the Dental School since 1983, and I don''t know where my dental care would come from if it were not for the Dentistry School.

Contact your State Dental Board of Examiners or any Dentistry School - they will probably have information on free and/or low-cost dental services in your area.

Reply to this comment

by dmann991 July 24, 2008 2:08 PM PDT

I think it''s great that these dentists are givign their time and energy to this project! It shows real compassion for humanity.

Reply to this comment

by daniel4102 July 24, 2008 9:03 PM PDT

My name is Melissa Broussard. I live in Arnaudville, La. I am writing this because this particular story of dental care has caught my attention especially close to my heart. My husband has been suffering for years with his teeth. I have to say when i first met him, i never noticed that all is top teeth where in such decaying condition. He has taught himself to hide it when he speaks and to put aside the pain everyday. It does interfere with everyday life. When he speaks to co-workers, in the back of his mind he thinks they notice his teeth. It makes him shy away from his true personality. He is a very loving and gentle soul. I have hunted for dental assistance for him for a long time. But our credit issues come into play and no one will finance his dental work. I know that some dentists gave us quotes of between $4000 to $8000 to have what he needs done. Which is pulling almost all of his top teeth and giving him an implant. I wasn''t even looking for free dental care. In my life nothing has ever been free. But i pray all the time for him that someone could cut him a break. Just once. I guess what i was wondering is if there is a place where they can finance even people who have bad credit i would try really hard to get him there. If anyone knows a place please post it. My husband does everything he can everyday of his life to make me happy. If i could do this one thing..... well i could make him smile an actual smile! Thank you. Sincerely, Melissa Broussard

Reply to this comment

by daniel4102 July 24, 2008 9:04 PM PDT

My name is Melissa Broussard. I live in Arnaudville, La. I am writing this because this particular story of dental care has caught my attention especially close to my heart. My husband has been suffering for years with his teeth. I have to say when i first met him, i never noticed that all is top teeth where in such decaying condition. He has taught himself to hide it when he speaks and to put aside the pain everyday. It does interfere with everyday life. When he speaks to co-workers, in the back of his mind he thinks they notice his teeth. It makes him shy away from his true personality. He is a very loving and gentle soul. I have hunted for dental assistance for him for a long time. But our credit issues come into play and no one will finance his dental work. I know that some dentists gave us quotes of between $4000 to $8000 to have what he needs done. Which is pulling almost all of his top teeth and giving him an implant. I wasn''t even looking for free dental care. In my life nothing has ever been free. But i pray all the time for him that someone could cut him a break. Just once. I guess what i was wondering is if there is a place where they can finance even people who have bad credit i would try really hard to get him there. If anyone knows a place please post it. My husband does everything he can everyday of his life to make me happy. If i could do this one thing..... well i could make him smile an actual smile! Thank you. Sincerely, Melissa Broussard

Reply to this comment

by daniel4102 July 24, 2008 9:05 PM PDT

My name is Melissa Broussard. I live in Arnaudville, La. I am writing this because this particular story of dental care has caught my attention especially close to my heart. My husband has been suffering for years with his teeth. I have to say when i first met him, i never noticed that all is top teeth where in such decaying condition. He has taught himself to hide it when he speaks and to put aside the pain everyday. It does interfere with everyday life. When he speaks to co-workers, in the back of his mind he thinks they notice his teeth. It makes him shy away from his true personality. He is a very loving and gentle soul. I have hunted for dental assistance for him for a long time. But our credit issues come into play and no one will finance his dental work. I know that some dentists gave us quotes of between $4000 to $8000 to have what he needs done. Which is pulling almost all of his top teeth and giving him an implant. I wasn''t even looking for free dental care. In my life nothing has ever been free. But i pray all the time for him that someone could cut him a break. Just once. I guess what i was wondering is if there is a place where they can finance even people who have bad credit i would try really hard to get him there. If anyone knows a place please post it. My husband does everything he can everyday of his life to make me happy. If i could do this one thing..... well i could make him smile an actual smile! Thank you. Sincerely, Melissa Broussard

Reply to this comment

by aggiekat2004 July 25, 2008 1:40 AM PDT

I had dental insurance until I got laid off from my job...but when I went in recently to replace a crown that I had crushed, I wasn''t told that it WASN''T COVERED at the measly 40% coverage I was promised until I was out of the chair, my old crown had been removed, and most of the work had been done!

Humana actually has a one-year waiting period on major dental work, and I was two weeks shy of my one-year anniversary...and they refused to pay it.

Insurance companies are criminal. Not only do medical providers have to charge too much to cover their malpractice insurance, but then insurance companies don''t pay for a *** thing!

Reply to this comment

by mamawsister June 13, 2009 12:17 AM PDT

hi..my name is sissy,i have no insurance for the dentist,my teeth have got so bad i can not eat.it hurts so bad when i do eat.my gums are sore and swelled.its got to the point i have to stop eating cause it hurts so bad when i chew.and now i have lost weight too.i thurts to drink anything cold hot or warm. cant brush my teeth,the pain is getting so bad,if there is anyone who can help me please let me know.please.my email is [e-mail]..is there any where i can go for help..?? thank you and God Bless you all..

Reply to this comment

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[bb19631]

I applaude these dentists, a job well done to help the non-insured people. Professionals should do this more often, pro-bono work. After all you went to college to get a degree to help people, Am I right?

[barbaraf4]

Wonderful story!

[nyscof]

It''s wonderful that these dentists do this but the rest of the year, 80% of dentists refuse Medicaid patients. And the American Dental Association and its state affiliate groups lobby states and Congress not to allow any viable group to fill the void.

Fluoridation is a huge failure but dentists keep pushing it because they know it''s keeping governement off their backs. It''s time that instead of dentists mandating fluoride in our water, legislators must mandate dentists actually treat more Mediciad and un-insured Americans all year long. If they won''t, it''s time to train Dental Therapists to do the job. DTs have worked for decades in developed countries doing the same work as dentists - only cheaper and in areas where dentists refuse to go. It only takes two of three years training. Let''s get on with it.

[bridan212]

I am a registered nurse working in the field of community health for The North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System. Specifically, I work for N.O.R.C. (Naturally Occuring Retirement Communities) programs in Queens and Nassau. These Supportive Snior Programs programs are state and federally funded as well as supported by generous contributions from private foundations who believe strongly in the concept of aging in place while remaining as independent as possible. The NSLIJHS has been providing free dental services to seniors in five of these N.O.R.C.s through the NSLIJ MOBILE DENTAL UNIT. which was made possible by an 18 month grant from the United Way. This invaluable service has made a difference in the level of dignity and quality of life for a number of senior members in the community. You don''t need a Hollywood smile to feel like a million bucks!

[ratchow1962]

This a really a terrific story.I commend the dentists who would donate their time to provide dental care to the less fortunate in America.

Watching this on the news tonight reminds me that here in Canada,the national health insurance plan called Medicare does not cover dental treatments.
if you cannot afford to buy private health insurance here or receive this insurance through your job which is how I get my dental coverage,then you are screwed
and have to pay it our of your own pocket.

[Laura10966]

nyscof had and has a very valid point. Although this event is terrific, why can''t and don''t more dentist nationwide do low or no income work? I realize you enjoy your $300,000 home and the prestige that goes with a degree of DDS; Orthodontist; Oral Surgeon, etc, but most of us are very blue collar, or low income households.........health/dental insurance is a luxury we dream about but can not afford.

[sistatee-2009]

The rich don''t have to wait in line for a dentist, so what''s the problem?

[ubrew12]

ratchow1962 said: "here in Canada, if you cannot afford to buy private [dental] health insurance here or receive this insurance through your job...then you are screwed "

Gosh, sounds positively American.

[mgrish58]

This story brought tears to my eyes. I have struggled for years with the prohibitive costs of dental care, both with and without insurance. In the last year I had over $10,000 worth of dental work done and more than half of that was my out of pocket due to low coverage that my insurance provided and costs that were considered above "reasonable" charges.

Kudos to the dentists, assistants and voluteers of this program. Dental health is just as important as medical health.

[d83000]

Maybe if you got the lawyers off the medical industry''s back so they wouldn''t have to pay out huge sums of $$ for insurance the price care would drop down to reasonable levels.

Lets face it... if your *** life is ruined because some doctor looked at you cross-eyed it seriously isn''t worth 10M dollars! Oh, wait.... 8M of that 10M went to the ambulance chaser that talked you into that law suit in the first place!

[sociald63]

THANK you, dr bergstrom

[rory armee armaugh]

The one political candidate,who had dedicated the time, thought, effort, money and reputation, and stood up to public ridicule, to solving the health care crisis, a grevious sin on America''s soul, was defeated recently, and the winner, hasn''t an incling of her importance at securing the Presidency.
With her solutions to healthcare, and stopping the defection of supporters most likely will fill in the void for McCain (a candidate that was more or less a corpse at this very time, last year) and bringing his campaign to a natural tipping point.
Conventional wisdom would have Barack searching out a running mate sure to bring home the bacon on this issue and securing the presidency.
With the depressive economic woes,the enviournment,National security,the volitle political temperture in the Middle East surfacing recently, what should be topping off this list is affordable healthcare for all Americans.
Hillary, a dedicated humanitarian, has a prospect at solving this nagging wound to America''s lower and sinking middle classes(and without a middle class...you have no DEMOCRACY) and by doing so most likely making a lasting indelable mark in the coming four years.

[papurdy]

It is a shame, that so many need dental care in this country and can not afford. Am one of the lucky ones at least have some insurance, but my co-pays are so high can not afford to go to dentist. Why is it that these dentist that are doing a great thing at these clinics can not do it in their home towns, It does not make sense to me, My guess is it has something additional to do with insurance company''s and the bottom line.

[mswolfestock]

SUGGESTION - If you live within a reasonable distance from a dentistry school, check it out.

I am lucky enough to live in a town with a University Health Sciences Center, which has a medical school, dental school, nursing school, and pharmacy school.

Teaching hospitals and dental schools usually offer services at a discount - they only have to cover their costs - there is no overhead like there would be with a private dental practice.

Dental students and oral hygiene students offer treatments under the supervision of the instructors who are all Board Certified DDS''s and PhD''s.

I have been seeing the same DDS at the Dental School since 1983, and I don''t know where my dental care would come from if it were not for the Dentistry School.

Contact your State Dental Board of Examiners or any Dentistry School - they will probably have information on free and/or low-cost dental services in your area.

[dmann991]

I think it''s great that these dentists are givign their time and energy to this project! It shows real compassion for humanity.

[daniel4102]

My name is Melissa Broussard. I live in Arnaudville, La. I am writing this because this particular story of dental care has caught my attention especially close to my heart. My husband has been suffering for years with his teeth. I have to say when i first met him, i never noticed that all is top teeth where in such decaying condition. He has taught himself to hide it when he speaks and to put aside the pain everyday. It does interfere with everyday life. When he speaks to co-workers, in the back of his mind he thinks they notice his teeth. It makes him shy away from his true personality. He is a very loving and gentle soul. I have hunted for dental assistance for him for a long time. But our credit issues come into play and no one will finance his dental work. I know that some dentists gave us quotes of between $4000 to $8000 to have what he needs done. Which is pulling almost all of his top teeth and giving him an implant. I wasn''t even looking for free dental care. In my life nothing has ever been free. But i pray all the time for him that someone could cut him a break. Just once. I guess what i was wondering is if there is a place where they can finance even people who have bad credit i would try really hard to get him there. If anyone knows a place please post it. My husband does everything he can everyday of his life to make me happy. If i could do this one thing..... well i could make him smile an actual smile! Thank you. Sincerely, Melissa Broussard

[daniel4102]

My name is Melissa Broussard. I live in Arnaudville, La. I am writing this because this particular story of dental care has caught my attention especially close to my heart. My husband has been suffering for years with his teeth. I have to say when i first met him, i never noticed that all is top teeth where in such decaying condition. He has taught himself to hide it when he speaks and to put aside the pain everyday. It does interfere with everyday life. When he speaks to co-workers, in the back of his mind he thinks they notice his teeth. It makes him shy away from his true personality. He is a very loving and gentle soul. I have hunted for dental assistance for him for a long time. But our credit issues come into play and no one will finance his dental work. I know that some dentists gave us quotes of between $4000 to $8000 to have what he needs done. Which is pulling almost all of his top teeth and giving him an implant. I wasn''t even looking for free dental care. In my life nothing has ever been free. But i pray all the time for him that someone could cut him a break. Just once. I guess what i was wondering is if there is a place where they can finance even people who have bad credit i would try really hard to get him there. If anyone knows a place please post it. My husband does everything he can everyday of his life to make me happy. If i could do this one thing..... well i could make him smile an actual smile! Thank you. Sincerely, Melissa Broussard

[daniel4102]

My name is Melissa Broussard. I live in Arnaudville, La. I am writing this because this particular story of dental care has caught my attention especially close to my heart. My husband has been suffering for years with his teeth. I have to say when i first met him, i never noticed that all is top teeth where in such decaying condition. He has taught himself to hide it when he speaks and to put aside the pain everyday. It does interfere with everyday life. When he speaks to co-workers, in the back of his mind he thinks they notice his teeth. It makes him shy away from his true personality. He is a very loving and gentle soul. I have hunted for dental assistance for him for a long time. But our credit issues come into play and no one will finance his dental work. I know that some dentists gave us quotes of between $4000 to $8000 to have what he needs done. Which is pulling almost all of his top teeth and giving him an implant. I wasn''t even looking for free dental care. In my life nothing has ever been free. But i pray all the time for him that someone could cut him a break. Just once. I guess what i was wondering is if there is a place where they can finance even people who have bad credit i would try really hard to get him there. If anyone knows a place please post it. My husband does everything he can everyday of his life to make me happy. If i could do this one thing..... well i could make him smile an actual smile! Thank you. Sincerely, Melissa Broussard

[aggiekat2004]

I had dental insurance until I got laid off from my job...but when I went in recently to replace a crown that I had crushed, I wasn''t told that it WASN''T COVERED at the measly 40% coverage I was promised until I was out of the chair, my old crown had been removed, and most of the work had been done!

Humana actually has a one-year waiting period on major dental work, and I was two weeks shy of my one-year anniversary...and they refused to pay it.

Insurance companies are criminal. Not only do medical providers have to charge too much to cover their malpractice insurance, but then insurance companies don''t pay for a *** thing!

[mamawsister]

hi..my name is sissy,i have no insurance for the dentist,my teeth have got so bad i can not eat.it hurts so bad when i do eat.my gums are sore and swelled.its got to the point i have to stop eating cause it hurts so bad when i chew.and now i have lost weight too.i thurts to drink anything cold hot or warm. cant brush my teeth,the pain is getting so bad,if there is anyone who can help me please let me know.please.my email is [e-mail]..is there any where i can go for help..?? thank you and God Bless you all..