Linda Reed makes her weekly rounds at The Hume Home of Muskegon like she's visiting relatives and old family friends.
On a recent October afternoon, she sat with a group of women at the assisted living community and chatted about their birthdays and past lives.
"You look beautiful today," she says to Mrs. Gayle, the retired teacher from Saginaw who likes to sing aloud in her room and when visitors play the piano.
"Well, I don't feel like it," the 77-year-old shoots back before telling a story about driving to Muskegon for the first time—all by herself and with a car full of kids.
She knew she had made it to her destination because of "that stinky paper mill," she remembers, referring to the Sappi plant. "I was so proud of myself. You couldn't tell me nothin.'"
Reed caresses Mrs. Gayle's arm and eventually makes her way upstairs where she chats with Mr. Ray, the proud Big Red alumnus and former high school quarterback who reminisces about the Hackley Stadium's early years.
Next door, there's Mrs. Grace, a stroke survivor known for her large doll collection. Her stash includes a chubby Cabbage Patch kid and several versions of her favorites, Princess Diana and her childhood idol, Shirley Temple.
Just minutes after Reed arrives, Mrs. Grace is looking at an old photo of herself and her spouse.
"You haven't changed at all," Reed says as the woman points out her husband.
Reed, a Muskegon native, began volunteering at The Hume Home this year as a participant in the Muskegon Volunteer for Dental Care program.
Although she has since graduated, she still visits to maintain the friendships she formed at the residence.
'A good project'
Finding inspiration in a dental access initiative in Calhoun County, several dental professionals in Muskegon launched the program as an experiment five years ago.
Now in its official second year, the independent service maintains the same purpose it had during its inception: to educate and help uninsured adults earn free dental care in exchange for community service.
Reed, 60, discovered the program through her church and quickly connected with Suzanne Tanis, program coordinator at Muskegon Volunteer for Dental Care.
The Muskegon native had begun taking medications to treat her lung cancer, but the drugs had eaten away at some of her teeth.
To make matters worse, Reed lost her dental insurance after her illness forced her to stop working at Herman Miller right up until the day she had surgery.
"I went through it for a while there," said Reed, who now deals with emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.
It was through a friend Reed learned she could visit and help residents with small tasks at The Hume Home.
"They have so much history. They just light up and love to talk," said Reed, who now has health coverage through Medicare. "I am so grateful for the dental program. It's a good project."
Jackie Balcom Lindrup of Muskegon Volunteer for Dental Care watches former program participant Bert Miller as Dr. Michael Cerminaro (not pictured) fits his new dentures in this Muskegon Chronicle photo from 2011. Miller had put in more than 200 service hours to get his new teeth.
Reed is not alone in making long-lasting relationships at her volunteer site.
Bert Miller, a participant during the program's early years, continues to work at Hope's Outlet Ministries thrift stores.
Today, he's an employee there.
Hope's Outlet offered Miller a job after he logged more than 200 service hours in exchange for dentures and other dental work a few years ago.
"Silent epidemic"
Tanis, a veteran dental hygienist, said eligible participants must meet the program's income limit requirements and be uninsured adults living in Muskegon County.
Previously the limits ranged from $22,980 to $47,100, depending on the household size. Now, the income cap spans from $29,175 to $59,625.
With veteran hygienist and the county health department's former dental health coordinator, Jackie Balcom Lindrup, Tanis works in a donated space inside the Access Health building at 1200 Ransom St.
Tanis said 237 people have completed the class to start the program and 126 people have received free dental services through 21 private dentists between January 2014 and September 2015.
The private dentist offices have also donated free services worth $150,000, while volunteers have contributed 5,310 hours of work, she said.
Eligible volunteer sites include Kids' Food Basket, Community enCompass and the Pound Buddies Animal Shelter & Adoption Center.
"The dentists really like it because they know that the people who are coming to them have already volunteered in the community," Lindrup said.
Before receiving service, volunteers must attend a dental health class and complete at least four or eight hours of community service, depending on their needs.
Tanis said the required health course is an important part of the program because it relays basic but critical information, like how to property floss and brush one's teeth.
The Michigan Oral Health Coalition has called poor oral care a "silent epidemic" that has been linked to common ailments like diabetes, heart disease and gum infection.
Several research studies show that oral bacteria can escape into the bloodstream, affecting major organs.
Lindrup said she still remembers the program participant who had been to the ER "five times for the same tooth."
And seeking relief from oral pain at the ER is not uncommon, according to a 2013 report by The Pew Charitable Trusts.
Titled, "In Search of Dental Care," the report noted about 830,590 Americans sought emergency treatment for preventable dental problems in 2009.
What's more, several local residents in the Mercy Health Muskegon's Community Needs Assessment in 2012 cited dental costs as a barrier to maintaining their oral health.
More than 1/3 said they had not visited the dentist in the last year due to cost.
Lindrup said while the program does not perform free extensive work like crowns and bridgework, participants can receive fillings, extractions and cleanings.
In recent years, the program has received grant funds from the Alcoa Foundation, the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, Mercy Health's Community Health Project, and the Muskegon District Dental Society, among others.
Lindrup hopes more residents in Muskegon County know about the program so that she would have enough patients "to keep the dentists as busy as they are volunteering appointments for."
Source: http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2015/10/free_dental_care_program_grows_1.html
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