THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, February 18, 1997 TAG: 9702180307
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY REBECCA MYERS CUTCHINS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: 56 lines
The city's dental clinic, which for years has been serving poor and uninsured children, soon will begin offering routine dental care for indigent adults.
To be eligible, patients first must be screened by Portsmouth Social Services.
``Mostly what we started it out for was the indigent part of our society that have not been able to get any dental care because they can't afford it,'' said Mary Ellen Byrum, a senior social worker with the city's Social Services Department.
Fees will be based on gross income and size of household and will range from $10 to $30.
``The Dental Association has been bombarded with pleas from the community to do some free work on people who can't afford it,'' said Dr. J.B. Martin IV, director of the Portsmouth Dental Health Program. ``So this is Portsmouth's answer to that problem.''
In addition to the city dental clinic, located at 344 Effingham St., the dental health program includes a school dental van and also provides dental care education through a school-based health center at Hunt-Mapp Middle School. The programs are funded by grants provided by the Beazley Foundation, founded in 1948 primarily to support social service programs.
``For the two dental programs, we contribute about $300,000 a year,'' said Lawrence W. I'Anson Jr., president of the foundation.
The city dental clinic was established in 1951 as a joint operation between the city Health Department and the Beazley Foundation, I'Anson said.
``It started out basically for indigent children, but it would see some adults, particularly senior citizens,'' he said. ``The clientele has shifted sometimes, but the major emphasis has always been for children.''
But with more young people being seen at the school site, the decision was made to focus more on needy adults so the facility would be fully used.
``We're finding that we can't keep our chairs filled because there's not enough people coming,'' Martin said, ``so we want to expand our program to get more use out of the clinic and the dollars that we have.''
The adult service will be limited to routine dental care, he said.
``You can get anything that doesn't involve outside lab work,'' Martin said. ``For example, it won't include crowns and caps, but we can clean your teeth, we can give you fillings, we can pull some teeth, things like that.'' MEMO: Adults interested in using the city dental clinic must bring proof
of income, preferably a month's worth of paycheck stubs, to the Service
Intake Unit of Social Services, 1701 High St.
Patients will be screened from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.
For more information, call Social Services at 398-3600, Ext. 8119 or the
city dental clinic at 399-4588. ILLUSTRATION: Dr. J.B. Martin IV, program director