Creating Smiles in the Time of a Pandemic
In July 2019, The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation Access to Care awarded Camillus Health Concern (CHC), Inc. a grant to provide dentures to the underserved and marginalized population we serve. CHC is a primary care medical home for persons experiencing homelessness in Miami-Dade County. CHC dental services include preventive, restorative and emergency services.
“There is an incredible sense of gratification when patients get their smiles back,” said Dental Director Carmen De La Torre. “This is our 5th year receiving this grant and every year we’re able to provide more dentures to patients,” she continued. CHC’s patients experience high rates of untreated dental caries and periodontal disease, and disproportionately suffer from chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and depression. The need for dentures is significant and goes beyond aesthetics. Dentures help improve patients psychological and emotional state and can be instrumental, if not essential, to their road to recovery in those areas which also leads to increased self-esteem and higher chances of achieving self-sufficiency.
Following the recommendation of the American Dental Association, CHC suspended all elective dental procedures due to COVID-19 pandemic and has recently resume all services. As of November 4th, the dental department has seen nearly 1,200 patients of which 45 have received dentures. Camillus Health Concern thanks Dr. Carmen De La Torre and her team for their good work. We look forward to hearing about and sharing their future success in providing continued dental care within our community.