www.dotcomhunter.com Dental Assistants Provide Care to Low Income Families Dental Assistants take pride in providing quality care to patients. T hey assist Dentists with procedures and Dental Hygienists with assist ance during preventative cleanings. However, many Dental Assistants u nderstand there is a population of individuals who do not receive the dental care they should because they have no insurance and they can’ t afford to pay for it out of pocket. The result of not obtaining pro per dental care is ongoing health and dental issues that spiral out o f control. Many low income families are not receiving dental care. Often, dent al programs are available through a variety of programs including C hild Development Services, Migrant Services, and Head Start. All of these programs are conducted throughout the United States. These p rograms provide schooling for children and parenting skills for par ents. The programs often include programs of budgeting, meal planni ng, family activities, and dental care. These programs are Federall y funded. In these programs, children and their families receive dental care fo r free. This requires qualified Dental Assistants to assist Dentists and Dental Hygienists in their work of providing procedures and denta l cleanings to patients in these programs. Since their dental care is limited, it is very important for them to become educated about oral hygiene. Education becomes a key for them to work hard to maintain q uality dental hygiene on their own as much as they can. Dental Assistants often conduct training workshops for these types o f programs, stressing the importance oral hygiene. The programs incl ude information on brushing twice a day, the proper way to brush, th e importance of flossing, and the proper way to floss. Family member s are generally given handouts as well as toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, and pills that will show the plaque you missed on your teeth by turning the areas a bright color. These educational workshops are very helpful to the families involved in these programs. For children and adults who have severe dental needs, this many be t he only way they will ever be able to have those needs addressed. De ntal Assistants who work with low income families often earn less th an Dental Assistants in other dental fields of employment. However, they find a strong satisfaction in helping families obtain dental ca re. To them, it is more rewarding than any increase in pay. The lack of programs to help with those who can’t afford adequate de ntal care is a huge concern for Dental Assistants all across the Nat ion. It is an issue that needs to be addressed locally, statewide, a nd on a Federal level. Many Dental professionals agree to assist wit A gift from www.dotcomhunter.comwww.dotcomhunter.com h education and providing services to low income populations because they understand the dire need of such care. While Medicare and Medicaid programs under Federal guidelines offer s ome relief for families, many don’t qualify for the programs, yet sti ll don’t earn enough money to pay for the care on their own. In addit ion, most dental facilities don’t accept the Federal programs or they only accept a limited number of participants at a time. The Surgeon General has only yet begun to conduct studies on the ef fects of low income families not receiving the dental care they nee d. However, they do agree that the issue needs to be addressed. The y have implemented some strategies to improve the situation. They would like to see the expansion of mobile dental clinics, public dental clinics, and school based dental clinics. They would also lik e to see schools and other educational programs focusing more on oral hygiene. Possibility adding toothbrushes and areas to each classroom for students to use after breakfast and lunch on a daily basis. The Surgeon General is also looking into developing programs for dental staff, including Dental Assistants to receive assistance with tuition if they agree to work in low income dental facilities for a specified p eriod of time. It is their hope that the staff will choose to remain th eir after that time period has ended because they see how beneficial th eir services are to the patients they are serving. PPPPP Word Count 670 A gift from www.dotcomhunter.com