Utah’s first and only dental school is opening an emergency-care clinic for uninsured and underinsured children and adults.
Starting Monday, Roseman University of Health Sciences in South Jordan will charge $100 for diagnostic tests and treatment of problems such as toothaches, broken teeth and infections. More complicated procedures will cost more.
—
Emergency dental care
Roseman University of Health Sciences will open an emergency dental clinic starting Monday, Jan 9.
The clinic, 10894 S. River Front Parkway, South Jordan, is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Call 801-878-1200 for an appointment, though walk-in patients are accepted.
 |
Join the Discussion |
 |
Post a Comment |
About one-third of Utah adults didn’t have dental insurance in 2004, the most recent data available.
Medicaid doesn’t cover dental care for non-pregnant adults.
While dental care is covered for poor children on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), undocumented children don’t have access to the subsidized insurance.
"There’s just a large underserved population," said Richard Buchanan, Roseman’s dean of dental medicine.
Roseman, a nonprofit based in Henderson, Nev., opened with an inaugural class of 64 last summer. In their third year, those students will be able to care for patients.
For now, the university’s 12 faculty will provide the care.
Buchanan said the school will bill Medicaid and CHIP for any covered services, charging the appropriate co-payment amounts (which range from free to 50 percent of the amount, depending on the plan) instead of the flat fee.
While some patients may have private insurance, Buchanan anticipates 70 percent to 75 percent of the patients will be uninsured or will have insurance that doesn’t cover dental care.
South Jordan may be out of the way for many of the target patients. Buchanan said the university expects to expand access in the fourth year of operation. By then, the dental students will providing care in the community.
The university also plans to add preventive services when the students are able to give care.
Steven J. Steed, Utah’s dental director at the Utah Department of Health, said poor Utahns need more access to care.
While he welcomes Roseman’s efforts, he wonders if $100 will be too much for some patients to pay.
Still, he said it is better for patients to seek care from dentists than emergency rooms.
There, patients may get pain medication and antibiotics, but they are unlikely to get the root canal or extraction they need, he said.
Copyright 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
