Dental work can be expensive, and it is no secret that dental insurance plans are not all that helpful. They generally pay only half of the cost, after a specified period of time. When an individual earns 34k or less, and has monthly bills to cover, it is easy to allow dental work to slide. Such was true in my case, even when I was employed full time within my field, that of non profit social services, which typically pays even its management team low wages.

THE BEN MASSELL DENTAL CLINIC

Help has arrived in Atlanta, hopefully, for me and many others through The Ben Massell Dental Clinic. According to the write up found at www.benmasselldentalclinic.com/index.html, the clinic offers indigent care to the neediest patients in Georgia, and offers the most advanced dental care found in the state. The 7,900 square foot clinic includes 15 operatories, two hygiene rooms, and "the absolute latest in dental equipment," according to its website.

According to the website, the clinic also has the latest in technology, thanks to generous donations from groups of dental manufacturers. Apparently the clinic has similar technology to most private dental offices around the country, offering excellent practice management and imaging software in an office that is virtually paperless, streamlined by Internet access. Clients receive the luxury of CT machines and digital radiography.

THE DENTESTS

Over 100 dentists, of the Honorary Society of Dental Volunteers, contribute half days each month to treat the unemployed and working poor, and manage the caseload. Since these dentists are literally saving lives, I suggest you take the time to figure out who they are, and if you can afford to pay for your own dentistry, have it done at one of their offices.

PROCEDURES

Over 14,500 dental procedures are performed annually at the clinic. The procedures include the following:

• fillings
• oral surgery
• prosthetics
• extractions
• endodontics
• periodontics
• orthodontics

ELIGIBILITY

I suggest you visit the website for financial eligibility requirements, as they are available there. Service is available for those of us who live in the following counties: Butts, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Paulding, and Rockdale County area. The clinic expects to double its patient capacity over the next three years.

THE ONLY DOWNSIDE OF ALL THIS

I discovered this opportunity at 8am this morning, and have been calling the number provided nonstop since that time, receiving a busy signal each time. You might have difficulty getting through to the clinic using the provided number, and according to the website, you are no longer allowed to visit the clinic in person. If anybody has an easier way to access the clinic or its services, please contact me through this site, and I will happily update this article, and also set my own appointment. The best clinic is of no use if people are unable to contact it through telephone or email.

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE BEN MASSELL DENTAL CLINIC

You are doing a wonderful thing, and hopefully someday I will be able to donate millions. In the meantime, I would love to be able to reach you in order to set an appointment to have my dental work completed, as well as to volunteer in some capacity. If the telephone is ringing off the hook, and it probably is, please allow computer access to your site, so that people can send you email, and at least get on a waiting list.

I, along with many others, have been waiting for many years to have periodontics done, due to lack of adequate dental insurance and money, even when working full time as a Certified Substance Abuse Professional. I am very grateful for the service you are providing. It would mean a great deal to me to know that whatever damage this gum disease is doing to my body is ultimately coming to an end, even if my appointment has to be set far into the future due to the number of people who need the service you provide.

I will gladly donate some volunteer time to setting telephone and/or email appointments for clients, if that would help, or doing whatever you want me to do in order to help you along, and perhaps we could even set up a volunteer staff to set appointments, if you do not already have one, as you have done in order to offer the actual dental services you provide. One thing is for certain, if some of us who are in need of the services are also willing to perform some of the work involved on a volunteer basis, things should move more quickly and efficiently. Volunteer work is not only for the wealthy or financially secure; it is the duty of every American who wants to see our economy recover and prosper.