Service With a Smile

The name “Community Dental” says it all, doesn’t it?

By Anna DeStefano ~ article and photography

The new adult dental program available at the Rabun County Health Department is a fantastic example of the impact local leaders and volunteers can make, tackling a community need.

Two years ago, Tim Ranney and Bob Fink of the Rotary Club of Clayton approached the Rabun County Board of Health (RCBOH) with the idea for a collaborative venture. The Rotary could help the RCBOH provide low-cost dental services to the estimated thirty percent of adult residents unable to afford care.

The far-reaching benefits of such a project were undeniable. The average uninsured cost of a filling is $288; the expense skyrockets to $501 for an extraction. The consequences of poor dental hygiene range from medical issues (heart disease), economic limitation (when seeking employment in a field valuing personal presentation), and diminished socialization. The RCBOH and Rabun County Board of Commissioners were on board. Fast-forward two years, and Community Dental now offers adult dental services one day a month at minimal cost to the patient.

A host of volunteers have joined the effort, including dentists and dental assistants. Equipment was donated from Atlanta’s Grant Park Clinic and a retired dentist. The Clayton Rotary Foundation provides financial support as needed. Health Department staff offers administrative assistance. Then just a month ago, I was fortunate to discover a way of my own to contribute.

My “paid” work—healing nature photography placed in Emory Healthcare women’s, cardiac and cancer units throughout Atlanta—offers moments of calming inspiration to patents, staff and caregivers. When I heard about Community Dental, I jumped at the chance to make the same impact in my own back yard. Through Affirmation Photography™’s HeART Open non-profit donation program, thirty pieces of fine art were installed in the clinic’s reception, waiting, exam, staff and office areas.