April 10, 2004

By: Walker Bentley
Website: http://www.teeth-whitening-smiles.com

Comprehensive Dental Care – Everyone Deserves The Best

The WATTSHealth Center, an organization dedicated to providing a wide range of medical care to underserved families in South Los Angeles, announced it will expand its dental and health services to reach a broader sector of area residents.

With a $750,000 grant from The California Endowment, the state’s largest health foundation, the Center will build eight private treatment areas and hire additional dental staff, including a bilingual (English-Spanish) dentist and assistant, to increase the number of patients served.

The dental facility currently has an open bay area where patients have no real sense of confidentiality between them and a dentist to discuss sensitive health matters, due to the proximity of other patients. Oftentimes, they must undergo major dental work with little or no privacy. There are only three dentists that provide services to an average of 8,000 to 10,000 patients every year, and support staff is even more limited.

According to a recent study conducted by the National Institute of Health, tooth decay and lack of dental hygiene have reached epidemic proportions in underserved communities. The study shows that only 12 percent of African-American children and 15 percent of Latino children have received a preventive dental visit.

Many of the patients we treat have little or no access to preventive dental care, and all too often will only receive medical attention in emergency situations. We feel it is our responsibility to treat as many patients as we possibly can with the dignity and respect they deserve,said Dr. Clyde W. Oden, Jr., president and CEO, WATTSHealth Foundation.

With the financial support granted by The California Endowment, we will be afforded the opportunity to not only expand our range of services, but greatly improve them as well. The creation of eight private treatment areas will allow our dentists to examine patients with a much higher degree of privacy.

The Center reaches an estimated 184,000 patients every year through its urgent care services, and 13 medical and dental mobile units. A patient survey indicated that 12 percent of patients at the WATTSHealth Center earn an annual income of under $12,000, and only one percent indicated that their annual earnings were between $25,000 to $35,000. The poverty rate in Watts and surrounding communities is 31 percent, twice the rate of Los Angeles County and nearly three times the national rate.

South Los Angeles is comprised of largely diverse communities with varying health care needs. The WATTSHealth Center provides much-needed dental services to low-income families living within these communities, said Jai Lee Wong, senior program officer and manager for the Southern California region at The California Endowment. The Endowment is committed to promoting fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians, and we support the Center’s efforts to provide vital health services to the community it serves.

The California Endowment was established in 1996 as a private foundation. It maintains offices in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, Fresno and San Diego, with staff working throughout the state. The Endowment is the largest private health funder in California.

The mission of The California Endowment is to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. The Endowment makes grants to organizations and institutions that directly benefit the health and well-being of the people of California.

Author Notes:

Walker Bentley contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.teeth-whitening-smiles.com.  Everything you need to know to get a whiter, brighter smile!