Crider Health Center now offers dental services in Union.  The current Crider dental offices in Washington have been relocated to a new location at the Union Clinic, 1780 Old Highway 50 East.  As part of Crider Health Center’s commitment to serving the families of Franklin County, the office is hosting a free dental health fair on April 10, 2010, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The dental fair, Crider Health Center’s second in two years, is open to any Franklin County families who wish to attend.  Parents are encouraged to bring their children to get a free dental screening.   Dr. Dustin Mace, DDS, Crider Health Center’s dentist in Union, will be performing the screenings.  Dental health educational information will be provided to all guests of the dental fair as well.

“I am looking forward to the opportunity to educate families of Franklin County about their children’s dental health,” said Dr. Mace.  “Proper dental care can make a world of difference in the lives of these children, and our dental fair is one of the many ways Crider is giving back to the community.”

Roughly one-third of children (ages 6-19) at or below the federal poverty level in Franklin County has untreated tooth decay.  The low-income population in this county is far less likely to receive adequate treatment for dental health.  Statistics show that low-income children have twice the prevalence of tooth decay as children from higher income households, and their disease is more likely to go untreated.  In addition, few dentists practice pediatric dental care, and even fewer participate in Medicaid.  Crider Health Center is helping to solve this problem by providing pediatric dental care to families on Medicaid and also providing access on a sliding fee scale to those without insurance.