MONTICELLO, Ark. – Mainline Health Systems Inc. (MHSI) recently received $207, 823.00 from the Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation to purchase and update equipment, and to allow a dentist to visit already existing school-based dental sites at Lake Village, Dermott, and Warren schools. It will also establish a full-service dental clinic at Drew Central School District located in Monticello. All are in the Delta region of the state, identified as a dental provider shortage area. The expansion meets one of the foundation’s most essential funding preferences, as it enables more Arkansans to receive dental care early in life before emerging oral health issues compound over time and necessitate extensive and often painful treatments in adulthood.
Most MHSI school-based dental sites are currently only able to offer dental hygiene services, which include cleanings, sealants, and oral hygiene education. The grant will allow MHSI to add a full-service dental clinic to the Drew Central School District located in Monticello and add full dentistry services to already existing dental school-based clinics within the Dermott, Lakeside (Lake Village), and Warren schools. MHSI will offer full-range dental services which include fillings for cavities, treatment for tooth decay and gum disease, treatment for plaque build-up, and so much MORE.
“My dental team and I are so grateful to Delta Dental for the benefits that The Strategic Initiative Grant will bring to the students in the school districts of the Delta region. What a great opportunity it is for Mainline to be able to expand the delivery of care to students who might not normally have access to dental services, and we are so pleased,” said Dr. Terri Eubanks, Dental Director at Mainline Health Systems Inc. The Delta region in Southeast Arkansas is a high-need, underserved area. MHSI looks forward to all the things they can accomplish with the help of the Delta Dental grant.
The Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation seeks to expand access to oral health care in underserved areas. Grant recipients were selected based on the innovativeness of the proposed project and its potential impact on the oral health of Arkansans.
“We are proud to recognize the work being done by MHSI by selecting it as one of our grant recipients,” said Dr. Sharon Lanier, Executive Director of the Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation. “By increasing access to dental care, we can help improve the oral and overall health and well-being of children and adults by preventing serious health issues down the road.”