The United Way of Northeastern Minnesota’s Smile United Crisis Dental Fund is now closed to non-veterans due to a lack of available funds.
Having access to dental care is necessary for health and wellness. With the higher costs of living, local dentists say it’s becoming more difficult for people to afford oral healthcare. The United Way of Northeastern Minnesota announced their Smiles United Crisis Dental Fund is now closed to non-veterans.
Erin Shey with the United Way of Northeastern Minnesota says this fund was created to help people by providing financial assistance to pay off dental bills, if they didn’t have insurance. Unfortunately, there are no longer enough funds to help the general public. Some of the money available could help people who couldn’t afford anesthesia not covered by insurance.
“We currently have funding available, We can help right now with two additional veterans. We have that small amount of funding left for them,” Shey said. “We’re seeing people coming to our organization looking for support with $3,000, $6,000 bills. It varies. There’s also people who have come in with just that anesthesia amount. Which is just over $600, saying, ‘My insurance will cover this, the procedure itself. But I don’t have the money to cover the anesthesia portion of it,’.”
With the limited pool of funds available, Shey says people in rural areas across the Iron Range could experience significant struggles with a lack of dental care. Dentists in different counties are already seeing fewer patients because of the increased costs of oral healthcare.
Dr. Jennifer Kaczor with Chisholm dental services says with higher costs of living, residents in the Northland are prioritizing other necessities at the expense of their dental health.
“There are people that need dental work and just can’t afford to do it. So donating money can really make a difference in those people’s lives and get control of their health again,” Dr. Kaczor said. “At least half of my patients every day say, ‘Well, I would have been here sooner, but if it wasn’t hurting me, I wasn’t going to come in. Because I can’t afford a lot of dental work,’. Or a lot of people say ‘I don’t like the dentist,’. But a lot of people put things off because they’re afraid of what it’s going to cost.”
United Way in the northland is seeking grant funds to help continue providing access to oral healthcare. This Thursday is Give to the Max Day. According to the Erin Shey with enough donations United Way of NE MN will be able to reopen the Smile United Crisis Dental Fund for everyone immediately.
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