Community Dental Health believes no person, including the elderly, should live their life in pain…

...that is controllable. Every day we see seniors and adults with advanced disease because they cannot afford or can't get to a dentist. Our program is a simple intervention by focusing professional dental care directly to this population. Oral health is essential to overall health, and interdisciplinary care is essential. Our Founder, Michelle Vacha, believes that "if older adults still have their teeth at this stage of their life, it shows they have invested and maintained a high importance in their oral health." So why should their standards of care change now? Did they lose their insurance, income or physical health? If so, they are faced with disease and neglect now.

Financial support ranges from LOW COSTS/financial support available to 50% off traditional dental office fees

 
 
 

The Important Work We Do

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1. For the frail/elderly

  • Accessible Care: We've strategically located 2 offices in Colorado Springs and Pueblo and work with transportation programs to ensure accessibility.

  • Timely Care: Many seniors receiving transportation to the dental office are left in the waiting room for hours before and after their appointments. We make every effort possible to be courteous of your time and to keep your appointment running on time and coordinate with transportation agencies.

  • Wheel chair bound: We understand it's difficult and uncomfortable to transfer into a dental chair, so we ensure that the transportation/care facility provides a CNA to be on hand to assist with a wheelchair transfer. FEBRUARY 2020 - a Versatilt was granted to us from The Independent Center to utilize in our Colorado Springs office for individuals who have difficulty or cannot transfer from their wheelchair into the dental chair.

    Medications and Medical Conditions: As we age, we are prescribed various medications that affect the health of your mouth. There are over 500 prescribed medications that affect people’s mouths.We understand the opportunity this presents for increased decay rate, breaking teeth and dry mouth. We utilize the latest and best products to combat oral disease, best treatment options that fit your budget and personalized oral health needs.

We make every effort possible to be courteous of your time and to keep your appointment running on time.
 

2. Problems that low income, uninsured and Medicaid/medicare recipients have

The greatest complaint most consumers have is going to a dental office for help, and walking away with a quote for thousands of dollars worth of needed care. Disheartened and overwhelmed with the cost, many bury their heads and sink further into disease and neglect. We proudly provide much needed individualized care, focused on what is truly needed.

Challenges that our clients experience include:

  • Deciding between paying for medication, pay the electric bill, or to get their teeth looked at.

  • Removing themselves socially due to embarrassment or painful teeth.

  • Inability to gain sufficient nutritional intake because they have no teeth to chew with or they couldn’t chew because of their broken or loose teeth.

  • Difficulty finding a job because of their broken, decayed teeth and the odors involved.

We proudly provide much needed individualized care and focus on what’s truly needed.
 

3. overtreatment planning causing inability to afford dental care

Whether or not you are low income or rich, have insurance or do not have insurance, many people come to us for second opinions because they are told they need thousands of dollars worth of treatment. We are traditionally orientated health care providers where we are focused on your oral health needs and not production. We offer various options for you to choose from, and allow you to make an educated decision on what treatment is best for you. Part of the oral health epidemic is that many cannot afford dental care, and we want to remove the financial barriers many face in receiving dental care.

The Surgeon General reported poor oral health for under-served, vulnerable populations is an epidemic in 2007, and still is to this day.
 

4. Healthcare reform-the importance of overall health care

Our country is faced with an epidemic that many people do not realize…high priced dental care. Across the country the news reports about our health care system, but it is a system that separates the head from the rest of the body.

  • Mental and Dental health have long endured the lack of support and coverage.

  • Recent epidemic of suicides, violence and mental health has received increased attention and support while dental health is still waiting for the attention that is crucial for our communities.

Once the policy makers and public realize how much money is lost in healthcare with uncontrolled oral disease affecting people’s overall health, we will see changes. We see a significant amount of money lost in emergency room visits alone. We are continually working for support and attention to the importance oral health plays in our daily lives.

We are continually working for support and attention to the importance oral health plays in our daily lives.