From the #deltadentalARFoundation: It looks like a cross between a fax machine and an oven, and it is causing great excitement at the Mountain Home Christian Clinic.

“It” is the new autoclave, purchased with 2023 #communitygrant funding from the Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation.

“It makes our dental processes so much more efficient,” said Brandi Sharp, APRN, the clinic’s executive director, and you could hear the elation in her voice. “We can serve more patients and have fewer delays between appointments.”

An autoclave is a steam sterilizer used in the healthcare industry to clean medical and dental instruments. It applies high steam to kill harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi and spores. Put differently; it helps dentists do their job by ensuring a consistent supply of ready-to-use tools like probes, scalers, mouth mirrors, etc.

The clinic’s old autoclave was old and prone to breakdowns, requiring monthly maintenance and forcing staff to rely on neighboring clinics to autoclave instruments.

In contrast, the new steam sterilizer, along with new dental instruments and a blood pressure monitor, greatly amplifies the ability of the clinic’s volunteer staff to offer dental treatments to the community’s low-income, underinsured residents.

The charitable dental clinic now opens twice monthly when five enthusiastic local dentists and their assistants take turns providing oral exams and extractions. They treat senior citizens and younger adults who suffer from poor oral health due to fixed income, lack of access to affordable dental insurance or past lifestyle choices.

Their teeth are often so severely decayed that they have eroded below the gum line, Brandi noted.

After receiving extractions, the patients are referred to other clinics for dentures.

While the extractions provide much-needed relief, Brandi said she hoped to expand the clinic’s services one day to offer preventive services. She is currently devising a survey to ask local residents about their oral hygiene, access to routine dental care and interest in oral health maintenance.

We are happy to fund essential tools like autoclaves and excited about efforts to increase access to preventive dental care. How about you? Check out our funding sources—maybe we can help support your oral health project. Find out more here.

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