ST. CLOUD — After struggling for years to afford dental care, Mahado Onwukwe is now working to make sure others in Central Minnesota don’t face the same barriers.
Onwukwe, originally from Somalia, moved to St. Cloud in 2004. At 13, she injured one of her front teeth, which led to an infection that was “eating through” her bones, she said.
It wasn’t until 2019, when she gained private insurance through work that she was able to get the tooth treated.
Now, Onwukwe, CEO of Bright Smiles Community Clinic and Dental, a nonprofit community-based dental clinic, is bringing a solution to the area with the recent opening of a St. Cloud location.
The St. Cloud site is the second for Bright Smiles Community Clinic and Dental, which launched its first location in Minneapolis last year. Support in Minneapolis has been strong, according to the clinic’s community relations director, Sumaya Mohamed.
“It has been absolutely booming,” Mohamed said.
The clinic accepts Medicare and Medicaid, focusing on patients who struggle to access dental care because of insurance limitations, she said.
Bright Smiles Community Clinic and Dental also will provide a sliding-fee-scale based on the federal government’s poverty income line and work with patients who aren’t able to afford care.
Onwukwe brings years of health care experience to the clinic, including in roles as a community health worker, trauma-informed care project specialist and a supervisor of cultural competency and health equity at CentraCare.
Onwukwe said the mission is to give back to the community in which she graduated from Apollo High School and St. Cloud State University.
“I wanted to bring that service back here, because my grandmother is here, my mom is here, I have a lot of relatives and friends, and people here,” Onwukwe said. “When I was at (CentraCare), I saw a number of patients that couldn’t get dental service or access to dental because of the insurance that they have.”
While participation has been strong in Minneapolis, the St. Cloud location will be bigger, Onwukwe said.
Bright Smiles Community Clinic and Dental will have three dentists, a dental therapist, a hygienist, licensed dental assistants and front desk staff.
She noted that much of the staff will be able to speak different languages, including Somali, Spanish, Arabic, Hindi and Farsi.
“Some of our patients have never been to the dentist because they’re scared of going to the clinic, or because the cost is too high, so we have a very diverse team that (patients) could see people that look like them, people that speak the same language as them,” Onwukwe said. “We just do what’s best for the patient and put them at ease.”
Onwukwe said the staff at Bright Smiles Community Clinic and Dental will also focus on education for “low-income patients,” and provide a place where people can be seen by a dentist quickly.
“Our hearts are in the right place,” Onwukwe said. “We’re here to serve a community and make a difference in people’s lives. We’re just happy to be here and be a part of the people that are making changes.”
What: Bright Smiles Community Clinic and Dental
Where: 1521 Northway Drive, Suite 108
When: Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday; 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday; closed Sunday
Phone: 320-200-2300
Online:
brightsmilesclinic.org
There have been a few recent developments at the Crossroads Center.
Sketchers, a shoe store offering athletic, casual and fashionable footwear, has opened inside the shopping center.
Another store, Windsor, is planning a move inside Crossroads, according to the mall’s website. Windsor is a women’s fashion brand and will be near Crunch Fitness.
Urban Cuts, a barber shop, has also relocated inside the Crossroads Center near the food court.
Red Robin, a restaurant known for its burgers, has closed. The national chain plans to close 15 stores this year and a total of 70 by 2030, according to
Finance Buzz.
The St. Cloud location opened in 2016 at 3945 W. Division St.
The Crossroads Center is at 4101 W. Division St. and open from 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday.
- Lupulin Brewing Co., based in Big Lake, took home gold at the Great American Beer Festival for its Oktoberfest. Lupulin Brewing Co., is at 570 Humboldt Drive, Big Lake.
- Central Appliance Recyclers in St. Cloud is closing. The store is holding a going-out-of-business sale at 3107 Highway 10, St. Cloud. Central Appliance Recyclers is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday; closed Saturday and Sunday.
- Fainoah African Grocery Market has opened inside the Midtown Square at 3333 W. Division St., St. Cloud. The store is open from 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Monday-Friday; 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; 8 a.m.-8:30 p.m., Saturday; noon-6 p.m., Sunday.
- Bad Habit Brewing Co. is hosting a pop-up vinyl record sale from 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 26. Bad Habit Brewing Co. is at 25 N. College Ave. St. Joseph.
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