Medworks To Host Northeast Ohio's First Free Dental Clinic At The Cleveland Convention Center--June 23 & 24

CLEVELAND, May 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, June 23 and Saturday, June 24, Medworks, a healthcare nonprofit devoted to serving the medically uninsured and underinsured, will host Northeast Ohio's first free, large-scale dental clinic at the Cleveland Convention Center, 300 Lakeside Avenue. The clinic, equipped with 50 dental chairs, will provide dental screenings, cleanings, extractions and temporary partials. Sealants will be offered for children. All services are provided free of charge.

"We're prepared to see 1,000 patients," says Dr. Jerome Belinson, CEO, Medworks. "We have a team of 600 professional medical and support volunteers who will see patients and treatment is free." This is the Medworks model—free, unconditional care via mobile clinics—and has been since 2009 when a group of Clevelanders started the organization to improve access to healthcare. Each year the organization hosts eight to 10 free health clinics at various locations throughout the city.

This clinic is the first, free dental event in Northeast Ohio. Dental care is the number one unmet health need in Ohio for low-income adults and children. "It will help fill a significant gap in access to dental care," says Dr. Belinson, "which is critical but so often overlooked."

"It's not only the out-of-pocket costs associated with preventative care that is prohibitive," says Dr. Belinson. "It's also the more complex dental procedures that are simply out of reach for so many due to cost." Without dental insurance, treatments can range anywhere from $125 for a cleaning to more than $200 for a cavity filling and more than $1,000 if a crown or root canal is required.  

The lack of dental care and coverage is reflected in the prevalence of tooth loss and dental disease, which is disproportionately high among those with low-incomes. Delaying dental care is a costly health sacrifice. "The repercussions are far-reaching both in terms of economic and social effects." says Dr. Belinson.

Doors open at 7 a.m. Friday, June 23 and Saturday June 24 at the Cleveland Convention Center.

Medworks
Medworks, a non-profit organization founded in 2009, has hosted 48 free dental, medical and vision clinics and provided care to more than 13,000 patients. The organization is supported by financial donations from grantors, sponsors, individual donors, innovative collaborations with healthcare facilities and hundreds of local volunteer medical professionals.  

SOURCE Medworks