News Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: August 22, 2008
For more information, contact Kim Moore, United Methodist Health Ministry Fund,
800-369-7191

Exit Poll at Free Dental Clinic Underscores Kansas Oral Health Challenges

Hutchinson, KS—In an continuing effort to evaluate oral health in Kansas and determine strategies to address critical needs, a survey was conducted among those receiving services at the most recent Kansas Mission of Mercy (KMOM) free dental clinic. The survey data has now been tabulated and prepared for release.

The clinics, sponsored by the Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation (KDCF), are made possible by numerous volunteers from dental offices throughout the state. "The Foundation is honored to have the strong support of the dental profession," said KDCF Executive Director Greg Hill, JD, adding, "Since its inception, nearly fifty percent of all active Kansas dentists have participated in at least one KMOM event."

The April 18-19 Garden City KMOM provided more than $800,000 in free dental services for 1,776 children and adults. It was the seventh Kansas Mission of Mercy conducted around the state, and a return to the site of the inaugural event in 2003. Dr. Kevin M. Cassidy, Foundation President, commented, "The KMOM free dental clinics offer much needed services for those who find themselves unable to see a dentist for a variety of reasons."

The United Methodist Health Ministry Fund has underwritten an exit poll at each of the clinics to help determine the level of need for expanded oral health services and the factors contributing to so many Kansans encountering problems with getting access to services in the current system of care.

Inability to Pay

This latest exit poll reflected many of the same concerns, and similar percentages, as the previous surveys. Most patients at the Garden City KMOM clinic said they had gone without oral health care because of their inability to pay for services. Few patients had any kind of dental insurance.

For a significant number of survey respondents, this was the first time they had ever been to a dentist; while a vast majority of the patients had not been to a dentist in at least a year.

The patients represented a full spectrum of ages, although 19- to 40-year-olds comprised the majority. Almost 30% were 18 or younger. Adults receive the bulk of KMOM services because very few adults in Kansas qualify for dental benefits under Medicaid. Medicaid and SCHIP (HealthWave) provide comprehensive dental care coverage for children from low-income families, and, therefore, children are not as reliant on KMOM events.

Valuable Data

The Health Fund commissioned Kansas Health Institute, Topeka, to analyze the survey data. "Based on this limited sample, the situation has improved over the years for children, but clearly this report shows we still have far too many Kansans in desperate need of oral health care," said Health Fund president Kim Moore.

Highlights from results of the Garden City exit poll include:

88.6% had gone without dental care because of inability to pay for services
77.6% had not been to a dentist in over a year, for 45.8% it had been over two years
15.1% had never been to a dentist
37.8% had been enduring pain for a month or longer
78.2% have no dental insurance, 5.8% receive dental coverage through HealthWave
48.4% of the patients needing further dental care did not know where they would be able to get the additional services
The patient population was 46.9% Hispanic and 46.4% non-Hispanic white with the remainder divided among non-Hispanic Black, American Indian, and Asian

Long-term solution still needed

"The Mission of Mercy clinics help remind us that statistics aren't just numbers. These are real people struggling with real health issues and facing major hurdles in trying to find relief for their distress," Moore said, adding, "As admirable as it is for the dental profession to host these free clinics, all the suffering from oral health problems cannot be adequately addressed with the periodic availability of volunteer services. We must find public solutions that will work long term."

KMOM has provided over $6.4 million of free services to nearly 14,000 patients around the state through the seven clinics conducted in Wyandotte County, Salina, Wichita, Pittsburg, and Topeka as well as the two in Garden City. The Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation has set its next Kansas Mission of Mercy for February 20-21, 2009, in Manhattan.

Those wishing to review the full survey report concerning the Garden City Mission of Mercy can download it from www.healthfund.org. Information on the grant opportunities offered by the Health Fund is also available at the web site. Since its founding in 1987, the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund has provided nearly $50 million in funding for Kansas health issues.

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