SANDY JOSLIN | PHWC Oral Health Case Manager
Dental Hygienist Sandy Joslin applies a numbing agent to her patient’s gums - pitted with abscesses, missing teeth and cavities. Like some of the people Sandy sees at the People’s Health & Wellness Clinic (PHWC) in Barre, there’s going to be more dental work involved than a routine cleaning and check-up. The case must be managed and referred to encompass a higher level of care. For people lacking money or health insurance, it is a process that would be nearly impossible without her.
When the free dental clinic opened in November 2014 as a one-day-a-week service of the larger free primary health care clinic for uninsured and underinsured patients, the demand was enormous. To help meet this need, in February 2015, the medical center donated $10,000 to expand dental hygiene services for an additional day each week.
“Oral health has a significant impact on a person’s overall well-being,” said Judy Tartaglia, CVMC President and CEO. “The clinic’s ability to educate and provide preventive treatment helps keep a patient healthy and out of the doctor’s office. It’s a great service to our community.”
Joslin treats patients in a converted medical exam room and works under a supervisory agreement with a local dentist, Dr. Rick Venmar, a longtime supporter of the clinic’s work. Patients who are in need of additional treatment are referred to local volunteering dentists. The waiting list for services in the area is long, and PHWC Executive Director Peter Youngbaer wants to do more. He’s hoping to offer X-ray services in order to make referrals more efficient and, in the future, provide a fully equipped operatory for a volunteer dentist.
He’s also lobbying the legislature to create an opportunity for a new oral health role in the state, a licensed dental practitioner, who would provide dental care much like a nurse practitioner provides medical care.
