From the UConn Foundation’s e-newsletter Our Moment (June 2012)
A healthy mouth is directly linked to general health, making dental services an essential component of overall health care.
As the state’s flagship public university and medical and dental center, the University of Connecticut has a public service mission to address critical needs and improve the health and well-being of Connecticut’s residents. UConn’s dental centers at the main campus in Farmington and around greater Hartford offer excellent care while serving as the provider of last resort for many of the state’s most vulnerable residents who are uninsured or underinsured.
“Tens of thousands of our neighbors would go without critical dental care if it weren’t for the UConn dental centers,” says Dr. R. Lamont MacNeil, dean of the School of Dental Medicine. “Those most vulnerable are children and the elderly.”
The University’s dental centers provide more than $1 million in uncompensated care annually. Every year, there are more than 90,000 patient visits to the main campus alone, where patients receive care regardless of their ability to pay.
“At our clinics, patients receive exceptional dental care that contributes to their overall health and well-being,” says MacNeil. “This really is a public health issue. Accessibility to high-quality dental services is important for the health of our community.”
The new UConn Dental Wellness Days Fund presents an important opportunity to support health care for all of Connecticut’s residents. Gifts to the fund will directly help UConn provide treatment for the uninsured and underinsured.
“We created this fund to offset the enormous and growing cost of providing dental care for the uninsured and underinsured residents in our community. Philanthropy will help us continue to provide care that otherwise these residents would not receive,” says MacNeil. “Every gift, no matter the size, will make a difference. Every dollar will help us provide the very best dental care for the region’s neediest citizens.”
To support the UConn Health Center, contact the UConn Foundation’s development department.
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