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New dental center ‘excited’ to offer affordable services to low-income families

Posted at 3:57 PM, Apr 09, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-09 19:34:19-04

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — Affordable dental care is now available, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. My Community Dental Center (MCDC) opened Monday morning and the staff said they’re ready to provide dental services to any patient who walks through the door.

“Oh it’s huge for Battle creek," said regional manager Jamie Lahmann with excitement. "There’s a very large population people that are in that bracket in regards to Medicaid and kind of need that safety-net provider."

Their goal, she said, is to provide high-quality dental care to low-income families and people who are uninsured or underinsured. They recognize that sometimes dental care is sometimes seen as a luxury. But, according to their staff, it’s a necessity.

“I think sometimes when cuts are made that’s the first thing that people tend to take out of their budget,” she said during an interview at the office on Capitol Avenue. “Same thing with occupations. They might look at cutting that as a benefit for their employees.”

However, those cuts have a “huge impact” on a person’s health she said. Lack of dental work can lead to infections and others health problems. MCDC offers a payment plan to help those who need their services — cleaning, extractions, restorative work, denture care — most.

“That’s the exciting part about this is if you ever had a tooth problem and you haven’t been able to get it fixed, imagine how difficult that is to live with that everyday,” said Eric Pessell, health officer for Calhoun County Department of Public Health. “This will provide them an opportunity.”

Pessell said opening a local MCDC was a few years in the making. They have 39 locations throughout the state, from the Upper Peninsula on down to the Indiana border. They’re expected to see 1,000 new patients within their first year and they’re ready to help them all.

“They’re going to take care of your dental health needs,” said Pessell at the office. “They’ll take care of you and your family and we’re just excited to have them open up.”

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