Wabash Valley —
On Friday morning, a day when roads remained slippery and temperatures bitterly cold, friends of Allan Corns drove him from Worthington to St. Ann’s Dental Services in Terre Haute.
Over the course of several visits, the volunteer dentists have been extracting Corns’ teeth — ultimately, all of them — and he hopes to qualify for free dentures.
Before his visits to St. Ann’s, the 49-year-old had been in pain for quite a while, but had no job and no means to pay for dental work. “Before I came here, I had holes in my teeth and a toothache continually,” Corns said as he sat in a waiting room.
At times, his jaw would swell and he couldn’t eat; he also would get earaches. “It was very painful,” he said.
He’s grateful for St. Ann’s, which now serves 19 counties in two states. Without its free services, he doesn’t know what he would have done.
St. Ann’s Dental Services, which receives United Way funding, opened in 2005 and serves the emergency dental needs of low-income, uninsured people in the Wabash Valley who otherwise have no access to emergency dental care.
The dental clinic is a program of St. Ann Community Outreach Services of Terre Haute, a United Way agency.
Since it opened seven years ago, St. Ann Dental Services estimates it has provided more than $3.9 million worth of donated services and medicines for 4,175 people, based on current rates for dental services in the area.
It focuses primarily on relieving acute pain and infection. Current services include examinations, extractions, some cleaning and referrals for other dental needs. It also offers a limited denture program.
“We refer out that which we don’t do here,” said Sister Connie Kramer, clinic director who saw the need for the service many years ago.
She resolved to open the clinic after learning about a 26-year-old Terre Haute mother of two who died because of an untreated, abscessed tooth infection.
The needs in the Wabash Valley are great, but the clinic is making a difference, Kramer said.
“What I’m thrilled about is that we’re beginning to see people earlier,” those who need fillings rather than extractions, she said. “That’s success. That means we’re making a dent.”
She’s seen people enter the clinic with fear and leave with hope. “That’s what you never forget,” she said.
St. Ann Dental Services is funded by church, corporate, foundation and private donations as well as township reimbursements. United Way has provided about $200,000 in funding since the clinic opened. The past several years, the clinic has asked for, and received, $30,000 annually from United Way.
St. Ann’s dental clinic could not exist without donations and volunteers, Kramer said. “We couldn’t do it without our volunteer base,” she said.
Last year, nine dentists provided 95 half-days of service as part of the 1,575 total volunteer hours recorded for 2011. The clinic also benefited from 10 referral off-site dentists, seven dental hygienists, seven dental assistants, some pre-dentistry students and six volunteer receptionists.
Last year, 978 clients were screened and there were 802 scheduled appointments. The clinic had 693 extended office visits (327 new clients and 366 returning clients), and dentists extracted 2,006 teeth. Some clients don’t show up for their appointments.
Mary Dammann, Kramer’s administrative assistant at the clinic, said clients who use the dental clinic “are in desperate need of help.” When they leave, they are grateful for the free services, she said.
Among those volunteering Friday was Dr. Tom Kapczynski of Ellettsville, who donates his time once a month.
“God was good to me and I’m fortunate to be a dentist, and I like to give some of that back,” Kapczynski said. He’s happy to use his talents to help those in need and relieve their pain.
Another client receiving services Friday was James Lister, who had two teeth extracted by Dr. Tony Stringfellow, a dentist who practices in Farmersburg. Lister, 40, said he’s been unemployed since late last year. He was in great pain last week but was able to get antibiotics and Ibuprofen through the St. Ann Medical Clinic.
“It’s a blessing,” Lister said of the dental clinic. “I don’t know what I would have done without it.” Such a service “means everything” to those who need it, Lister said.
He said he’s trying to get back on his feet and find employment, “but sometimes that’s hard to do with the economy being bad,” he said.
Lister calmly reclined on his chair in a treatment room as his mouth went numb. He waited for Stringfellow, who was working with another client. Soon, Stringfellow returned and completed two extractions.
The dentist tried to keep the atmosphere light, given the procedure under way. He teased Lister about using WD-40 to ease the extraction, but it went smoothly and quickly. “I didn’t feel anything,” Lister said after it was over.
Stringfellow said he enjoys volunteering at the clinic. “I make a lot of friends,” he said.
Kramer wants the community to know that while St. Ann Parish will close later this year, the dental clinic will continue and the goal is continued expansion of services.
The clinic at 1436 Locust St. provides services from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays. Services are by appointment only, and clients must be screened for eligibility.
Sue Loughlin can be reached at (812) 231-4235 or sue.loughlin@
tribstar.com.
Local & Bistate
Related Photos
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Allan Corns
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Connie Kramer
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Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza Committed: Dental hygienist Paige Hutchinson prepares dental instruments for cleaning as she volunteers at the St. Ann Dental Clinic on Friday.
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Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza Stopping the pain: Dr. Tony Stringfellow removes a tooth from patient James Lister on Friday at St. Ann’s Dental Clinic. “I wouldn’t know what I would do if this place didn’t exist,” said Lister before the bad tooth was removed.
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