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project-homeless-connect-flyer_tacoma-armory-2016-10-26

According to Sound Outreach Services, “On any given night in Pierce County 2000 people experience homelessness. This number includes babies, children, teens, and adults. They are victims of domestic violence, people with disabilities, veterans, and senior citizens…Project Homeless Connect provides a starting place on the journey back to safety, stability, health, and hope. Project Homeless Connect reduces the duration of homelessness by providing services that address the basic needs; basic medical and dental care, access to education, employment and benefits systems, chemical dependency assessments, flu shots, haircuts, and much more – all under one roof!”

Please share news of this upcoming 10/26/16 event. To volunteer in the Dental Services area, contact pcds@pcdentists.org. Attendees interested in the dental services are encouraged to arrive early.

Event will be held once again at the Tacoma Armory in downtown Tacoma.

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Free dental services at March 2015 Project Homeless Connect

Project Homeless Connect returns to the Washington State Fairgrounds, Puyallup  on Tuesday, March 31, 2015. As in the past, the Pierce County Dental Society, along with other Pierce County Oral Health Coalition partners, will provide much needed dental assessments and treatment triage.

Doors open 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM.

PCOHC members interested in helping in the dental area should email pcds@pcdentists.org.

For more information and to share with the community as appropriate, click here for the event flyer: PHC_Flyer_March_2015_WA Fair Grounds

Project Homeless Connect returns to Tacoma Dome October 29

Upcoming Gig Harbor “Day of Resources” …includes dental care

Project Homeless Connect and its Day of Resources arrives in Gig Harbor next month. The Pierce County Dental Society, along with other Pierce County Oral Health Coalition partners, will provide dental assessments and treatment triage at the Project Homeless Connect event on August 22, 2014. The upcoming activity will be held from 11:00 AM- 4:00 PM at the LDS Church, 12002 Peacock Hill Avenue NW, Gig Harbor, WA 98335. Please share this Flyer and event information with community members as appropriate.

 

Jennifer / Pierce County Dental Society Hannah / Community Health Care

Jennifer / Pierce County Dental Society
Hannah / Community Health Care

 

Dental care resource for uninsured seniors

Pierce County Senior Center Dental Program

Pierce County Community Connections, Aging & Disability Resources is sponsoring free oral exams and cleanings performed by a registered dental hygienist at participating senior centers for eligible older adults.  Services are currently offered at three locations:  Buckley Senior Center, Key Peninsula Community Services, and Mid-County Community Center.  In order to be eligible to receive a free oral exam and cleaning, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • Be 60 years of age or older and a resident of Pierce County;
  • Have no dental insurance (including Medicaid);
  • Have not received dental care in the past 24 months; and
  • Have gross income below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level ($1,945 per month for a single-person household, $2,622 for a two-person household).

 

Interested applicants should call the Aging & Disability Resource Center at (253) 798-4600 to complete an eligibility screening.  Participants will be asked to provide contact information for their primary care provider as our hygienist must have a completed Physician’s Authorization for Dental Treatment on file before services can be provided.

Washington leads nation in access to dental care for low-income children

Washington State has a reason to smile as the nation’s leader in the percentage of babies and preschoolers from low-income families getting dental care.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 54% of Medicaid-eligible young children are receiving oral care in Washington, a rate higher than any other state.  (For more information, see the May 9 story in the Puget Sound Business Journal: A reason to smile: Washington leads nation in access to dental care for low-income kids.)

In Pierce County, the percentage of Medicaid-eligible children accessing dental care has increased steadily since implementation of the Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD) program. The ABCD Program focuses on oral health education and early dental care for children ages 5 and under. In 2012, the percentage of Medicaid-eligible Pierce County children accessing dental care was just over 45%. Data and Medicaid dental reports are available on the Health Care Authority website.

While the above is good news, the challenge and opportunity exist, both State and county-wide, to connect the remaining percentages of Medicaid-eligible kids to dental care at least once a year. As a community, we can help by sharing the following oral health messages:

  • Oral health is an essential component of overall health.
  • Children should have a dental visit by first tooth or first birthday.
  • Dental disease is both preventable and treatable. Early oral health education and intervention are cost-effective health measures, and key to prevention of dental disease.
  • The ABCD program makes dental care possible for low-income children ages 0-5.  Find Pierce County ABCD and dentist referral information here.
  • Pierce County has many dental care providers, including many Pierce County Oral Health Coalition partners, who accept children, ages 0-18 who have WA Apple Health (Medicaid) insurance. Find low cost Pierce County dental providers here.