Open wide!

A wide-eyed Adamaris Ramirez, 5, fought off tears as she turned back to her mother for reassurance.

After a nod from mother, Claudia Ramirez, and kind words from dental assistant Mendy Bailey, she was off to her first dentist visit.

Chris Stewart, executive director of Katy Trail Community Health, was confident Adamaris would be put at ease in the chair as Dr. Nicole Medley would likely use a pair of sunglasses to do the trick.

Adamaris was among the first 46 patients that Katy Trail Community Health’s dental clinic saw in its opening week.

Claudia Ramirez said she would have had to take Adamaris, along with her brother and sister, to Marshall or Columbia to see a dentist.
“It’s very good for the kids,” Ramirez said of the clinic by way of an interpreter. “A lot of kids’ teeth are bad, and they can fall out. They need to be protected.”

Across the waiting room, the Adams sisters from Smithton waited for their dental check-up as their father, Ryan Adams, filled out paperwork. Adams said his wife is a patient of the Katy Trail’s medical clinic, and she found out about the dental services for children.
The opportunity prompted the first dental visit for 2-year-old Holly Adams, even though she doesn’t have any problems.

“It’s better to get them in now, instead of later,” Ryan Adams said.

Preventive care is the focus of the dental clinic, so patients are primarily children.

“We’re trying to identify kids, and eliminate disease by teaching families about good oral health care,” Stewart said.

The response to the dental operation has been “overwhelming,” Stewart said. The clinic is booked for the next two months, but there are openings for emergencies. About 6,000 children in Pettis and Benton counties are enrolled in Missouri Health Net.

“Our challenge is to see as many of these kids as much as we can,” Stewart said.

Expectations of the clinic are raised because there is such a need for dental care among children and adults, Stewart said.
“The disease is just tremendous out there, and we can’t alleviate all of it,” she said.

Adults who are existing patients at Katy Trail’s medical clinic can receive dental services by referral. Other adults in emergency situations may also qualify for treatment.

The opening of the dental clinic is the culmination of a goal set by the original board.

“Ten years ago, they were thinking about this, so to be able to fulfill it 10 years later is just a dream,” Stewart said.

The dental clinic is an addition built onto the medical clinic. Four exam rooms are up and running in the dental clinic, which has the capacity for four more. Medley, who is the dental director, and three dental assistants staff the clinic. Dental hygiene students from State Fair Community College are also expected to work in the clinic.

Stewart said she expects to hire another dentist by June and add a dental hygienist later.

Katy Trail received $1 million from a state allocation to Federally Qualified Health Centers, and used the money to fund the addition. Sedalia architect Rob Rollings designed the space and donated some of his time.

“The additional operating expenses have to be supported by the dental practice,” Stewart said.

The clinic accepts Medicaid and Missouri Health Net. Uninsured patients are billed on a sliding scale based on income.

Now that the dental offices are complete, renovations are under way in the medical clinic. Two exam rooms will be added, bringing the total number to 12. The reception area and waiting room will also be made over and include a children’s play area.

The administrative offices are moving to an addition on the south side of the dental clinic, and includes a large community room.

The dental clinic is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. Call 826-1908 to make an appointment.

An open house is planned from 4 to 6 p.m. Jan. 22.