When her retired father needed new dentures, Ypsilanti resident Charolette Buck didn't know how she was going to help him pay for them. Her dad, Charles Buck, had insurance through his former employer, but there was a gap in his dental coverage. Charolette Buck coordinates care for her father, and when she asked her own dentist how much the dentures would cost out of pocket, she says her first thought was, "I can't afford this."

"I kept asking around and researching every avenue, and finally someone referred me to the Washtenaw Dental Fund," she says. "I'm really thankful for it."

Thanks to the fund and the Washtenaw County-supported dental clinic inside the Trinity Health Haab Health building at 111 N. Huron St. in downtown Ypsilanti, Charles Buck got his dental care, including some tooth extractions and those sorely-needed new dentures. 
Doug CoombeCharolette Buck.
The dental clinic, and the fund that supports the care offered there, have been filling those sorts of gaps for 10 years now. In 2024, the clinic served 3,385 patients in 7,712 office visits. 

The clinic and fund are courtesy of a collaboration between the Washtenaw County Health Department (WCHD) and Michigan-based nonprofit My Community Dental Centers with support from the Washtenaw Health Project and Washtenaw County government, which designates $20,000 of its general fund for the clinic annually. Additionally, Trinity Health donates the clinic's space in the Haab medical building.

The clinic provides care for adults and children covered by most Medicaid plans, Healthy Kids Dental, MIChild, and low-income uninsured patients. It also offers reduced fees for uninsured veterans.
Doug CoombeWashtenaw Health Project Program Manager Kelly Stupple.
Jimena Loveluck, WCHD health officer, says that receiving dental care is an important part of overall health. Poor oral health is linked to many other problems, ranging from chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease to children missing school due to unaddressed dental pain.

Kelly Stupple, a program manager with the Washtenaw Health Project, says she feels dental care should be included in overall efforts to address health, as poor dental health can have negative impacts that go beyond physical well-being.

"It's hard to find a job if you don't have all your teeth, especially in the front of the mouth, because people with missing teeth are sometimes seen as not educated or healthy or capable," she says. "We forget how much your teeth and oral health can impact your whole body system and your ability to earn a living."
Doug CoombeDental Assisant Tashia Calloway at the Trinity Health Haab Health building's dental clinic.
However, many providers don't take Medicaid for dental procedures because the reimbursement rate isn't as high as with private insurers, Loveluck says. Dental care was identified as a priority in multiple WCHD community health assessments, which directly led to the establishment of the clinic in 2015, Loveluck says.

Stupple says the clinic provides coverage for those who fall through the cracks in a variety of ways. Patients may have medical coverage through their job, but not dental. Or a retired person might not have enough income to add dental to their Medicare benefits.

As a nonprofit, My Community Dental Centers are willing to take patients with those lower reimbursements from Medicaid. They also provide sliding-scale services to completely uninsured individuals.
Doug CoombeCharles Buck.
"Before this dental clinic opened, it was so hard to find a dentist who'd accept Medicaid for adults, though they might take it for children because the reimbursement for children on Medicaid is higher," Stupple says. "This clinic really stepped in and saved the day."

She says that some changes at the state level over the last decade have encouraged more private dentist practices to accept Medicaid payments, but "there's still a wait to get into those places."

"It's a huge boon to have this clinic solely dedicated to working as a safety-net clinic. They are saving their spots for people who can't get seen in other places easily," she says.
Doug CoombeDental Assistant Shelby Spaulding at the Trinity Health Haab Health building's dental clinic.
Loveluck says she's "thrilled" at what the decade-long collaboration has accomplished. 

"It's not something the health department did alone," she says. "We are so fortunate to have this resource in our county."

For more information about the dental fund and clinic, including fees and eligibility, click here. More information about My Community Dental Centers can be found here.

Photos by Doug Coombe.