Brushing Away Dental Bills INTRO: As healthcare costs rise, working families are forced to make tough choices. Dental insurance that some people take for granted is beyond the reach of many. As Lilla Marigza reports, an interfaith dental clinic in Tennessee is helping to take the bite out of bills. SCRIPT: (Locator: Nashville, Tenn.) Pal Kong came to the Interfaith Dental Clinic in pain. Kong works full-time, but like many working poor, has no insurance. Pal Kong/Dental Patient: “At Chik Fil-A fast food restaurant, they don’t have benefits there.” Kong and his wife are refugees from Sudan. Nyjod Kong/Dental Patient: “Yeah, I have four teeth need to be fixed. I have one of them done and I have another one here.” 29-year-old Nyjod fled to the United States in 2000. Growing up in a war-torn country, she had never been to a dentist in her life. Nyjod Kong/Dental Patient: “If we can’t come here, we can’t go anywhere, we can’t fix our teeth you know? We would just have to stay with the pain you know?” The couple knows their five children, ages one to seven, face a brighter future. Hygienist: “Watch in the mirror, we’re gonna’ show you how to brush your teeth. Okay, hold it up.” Nashville’s Interfaith Dental Clinic started in a broom closet in the basement of West End United Methodist Church. Now, it’s housed in a state-of-the-art facility, with a full-time staff, and 200 volunteer dentists. Dr. Tom Underwood founded the program in 1993 following several dental mission trips. Dr. Tom Underwood/Dentist, Interfaith Dental Clinic: “I worked in several foreign countries and when we came back to Nashville we realized the people here were in worse shape than most all of the other countries.” Nashville’s working poor now have a place to turn and plenty to smile about. Nyjod Kong: “We are so happy…no pain and our teeth fixed!” Hygienist: “You’re doing good.” TAG: The clinic receives story after story of their success. Many times, patients have been in too much pain to smile…but after their dental work is complete, family members often write back to the clinic and thank the doctors. For more information, contact the Interfaith Dental Clinic at 615-329-4790. Also see: Interfaith clinic provides dental care to working poor.
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