Lexington County, SC 02/16/2021 - February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, and fortunately for children whose families are unable to pay for dental services, there are two clinics in the Midlands that have provided this much-needed dental care for over 60 years. Since 1959, WellPartners Children’s Dental Clinics have served as a dental home for uninsured and underinsured children that are between the ages of 5 and 18, live in Richland, Lexington or Fairfield counties, and are enrolled in a free or reduced lunch program. There are Children’s Dental Clinics located in both Columbia and Lexington.
WellPartners Dental and Eye Health offer dental health services that provide preventive and restorative care to children and adults in the Midlands. The clinics are 99% volunteer based, with more than 200 dentists, residents and hygienists from around the Midlands generously giving their time to provide services. During the summer months, these clinics also provide preventive services in partnership with volunteers from Midlands Technical College.
The two children’s clinics typically see almost 1,500 patients a year for dental visits. Dental services performed include cleanings, fillings, extractions and crowns.
WellPartners is owned and operated by United Way of the Midlands and benefits from a strong partnership with Prisma Health and Lexington Medical Center. Healthy Learners, a ministry funded by Providence Hospital and Sisters of Charity, transports children from school to their dental appointments so their parents do not have to miss work.
Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the two children’s clinics were able to see almost 700 patients from June 2019 through June 2020, providing nearly $265,000 worth of oral health services.
“It has been a wonderful blessing to be able to continue to provide these much needed services for our most vulnerable population even during the pandemic. We are forever grateful to our many volunteers who selflessly donate their time and talent to serving our children,” said Tamara W. Stockton, DDS, MAGD, WellPartners Dental Director and full-time dentist at the Richland County Adult Clinic.
For more information on the WellPartners Children’s Dental Clinics, visit www.wellpartners.org.
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