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Three Point Plan #3 - Accomplished
FUND DENTAL CLINICS
Dental Clinic Statistics
- As of 2008, the Illinois Department of Public Health listed 168 community-based dental clinics operating in Illinois – a ratio of just one clinic for every 8,400 children enrolled in Medicaid. However, some clinics perform only limited procedures such as exams, cleanings, and fillings and operate only part-time hours.
- 20 counties in Illinois currently have no enrolled Medicaid dentist and five counties (with a combined population of over 29,000 people) have no dentist at all.
- Of the 49 health centers located in Illinois schools, only six offer dental services.
Public dental clinics have long served as a primary source of health care for many residents in underserved areas. Many clinics provide comprehensive dental services, from fillings to extractions, providing accessible and quality dental treatment that local residents need and deserve.
Some of these clinics operate on a full-time basis, but many only offer part-time hours. High demand for dental services has flooded these clinics with more patients than they can treat. Despite the strong need for these clinics, funding has been cut for many of these programs. In fact, in 2007 Cook County closed several dental clinics in an attempt to balance its budget even though there was often a nine-month wait to see a dentist.
Open Clinics: Governor Pat Quinn signed SB 1393 which established a dental clinic grant program and procedures for communities to apply for funding of public infrastructure grants to improve access to dental care for low income residents. Additionally, $2 million to fund construction of dental clinics was included in the Capital Bill that became law on July 13, 2009. The coalition estimates that $2 million will be enough to open 10 dental clinics which will serve over 60,000 additional patients. Public Act: 96-0067. |
