New clinic takes bite out of seniors’ dental problems

Oct. 05--Sitting in a dentist's chair, Avelina Greeno put her hands over her mouth, demonstrating how she used to hide her smile. Then she pulled them quickly away, flashing a bright, white grin made possible by a new set of dentures.

People are already noticing, the 68-year-old said.

"I ask people how I look like, and they say, 'Oh, you are so beautiful,'" Greeno said, throwing her head back and clapping her hands with excitement.

The benefits of having a full set of teeth are not just cosmetic.

"Now I can speak very well. I can pronounce my words. Before it was always, 'I can't understand what you're saying,'" Greeno said.

The National City resident is one of the first patients to experience the new dental clinic on the second floor of the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center in downtown San Diego. The program had a soft opening on June 1 and plans to celebrate its grand opening Wednesday. The milestone comes in the same year that the Gary and Mary West Foundation, which is funding the clinic, marks its 10th anniversary.

The program is designed to serve low-income seniors living on less than $850 per month. In cases where the government-funded Denti-Cal program doesn't cover the entire bill, the clinic's seniors are charged on a sliding fee scale.

Every patient receives a comprehensive health assessment from a specially trained "senior care navigator" who can identify other medical issues and connect people to other services, many of which are also available at the senior center.

Each visit is a chance to make sure prescribed medications are being taken, social problems are being addressed and nutritious food is being consumed, said Dr. Zia Agha, chief medical officer for West Health, which encompasses the foundation and other divisions that concentrate on research and health policy.

West Health recently sharpened its focus on senior health issues, and the dental clinic is an opportunity to study the long-term effects of holistic care -- particularly whether the approach can curtail more serious health challenges.

"This is not just about extracting teeth or getting checkups. This is really about how do you prevent these illnesses that can lead to heart disease and diabetes and high blood pressure," Agha said.

Oral health is increasingly linked to overall health, with many chronic conditions, including harmful infections, often starting in the mouth. A recent study from Oral Health America, a national nonprofit that advocates for better dental care, found that 4 million emergency room visits from 2008 to 2010 involved a dental condition. Also, the group estimated that 59 percent of low-income older adults have no dental insurance.

Beth Truett, the organization's president, said West Health's dental clinic is unique for its focus on each patient's broader health.

"I'd say they are going above and beyond what others have been doing," Truett said.

She added that demonstrating, through valid research, that these kinds of programs can save money in the long run by preventing hospital visits is what's needed to reach the bigger goal: getting programs such as Medicare to cover dental services.

"We can't treat our way out of this issue. There has got to be a measure of prevention and counseling in these programs, because it costs too much, and there are not enough providers to just keep doing things the way we're doing them now," Truett said.

So far the clinic has treated 150 people. The operation is run by Dr. Karen Becerra, who moved her private practice to participate in the new program, and said she has been surprised by how many of her new clients have not seen a dentist in a long time. Some have gone a quarter-century without a checkup; one, she said, had never visited a dentist.

Becerra said it was the senior center's meal service that initially got her involved. While serving those meals as a volunteer, she noticed that many people were missing teeth, fillings, dentures and other dental necessities.

"I saw that they had an opportunity to get a nutritious meal, but without teeth, they couldn't eat the food," Becerra said.

In its 10-year history, the foundation has given out 400 grants totaling $175 million to fund various programs, including the dental clinic. It provided more than $2 million to make that project happen and will match additional contributions from the public dollar-for-dollar -- up to $250,000 for ongoing operations.

To learn more, visit seniordentalcenter.org.

[email protected](619) 293-1850

___

(c)2016 The San Diego Union-Tribune

Visit The San Diego Union-Tribune at www.sandiegouniontribune.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.