Written by KOHC Intern, Amanda Abner. Amanda works at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry as a registered dental hygienist and assistant professor for the Division of Periodontology. She is pursuing a Master of Public Health through the University of Kentucky.
As we continue to celebrate October as National Dental Hygiene Month, we’re highlighting an important program that provides oral health care in Kentucky to some of our most underserved populations – Remote Area Medical (RAM) dental clinics. Amanda Abner, registered dental hygienist and intern with Kentucky Oral Health Coalition, provides an overview of RAM and reflects on her experiences serving at this event.
On a weekend in August, I accompanied my colleagues from the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry as we joined forces with the University of Louisville School of Dentistry to provide free dental treatment at a community outside Pikeville. I looked forward to working again with RAM in eastern Kentucky because I was impressed with their operations and inspired by the mission. RAM hosts pop-up dental, medical, and optometry clinics in healthcare professional shortage areas throughout the US. RAM’s own dedicated volunteers take care of the logistics, set up, and sterilization. Healthcare professionals only need to show up and volunteer their services.
With the waiting area starting to fill with patients around 6:30 am, I realized that I would be the only dental hygienist at the event. Recruiting the help of our periodontics residents allowed me to ease into the steady flow of patient care while also teaching second-year dental students periodontal instrumentation in the real world. Together, we cared for 265 patients between the medical, dental, and optometry clinics and provided $191,303 in services. I feel truly grateful for the teamwork I experienced among the residents and dental students.
I treated patients from Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia. There were stories of a dentist retiring without any replacement, no offices that took their insurance, or a lack of employer-sponsored dental benefits. With no monetary transaction and no worry of insurance coverage, it felt so good to just provide a service that another person needed, and no barrier in our way. I appreciate RAM for the opportunity to work freely to help others. Most of the patients I encountered had active periodontitis, and it would take ongoing care to save their teeth and reduce the consequences of chronic inflammation in their bodies. However, consistency of care was not a reality for them.
As each patient left, I wondered what their future options for dental care would be. We will hold another RAM event there, but it won’t be until next year. The future opening of the University of Pikeville College of Dental Medicine will increase access to dental care in this region. In the meantime, let’s advocate for oral health policy and innovation in dental care delivery to ensure meaningful access to oral health care for all Kentuckians.
