Several dental clinics in the U.S. are in need of additional support in order to keep up with the increasing demand for affordable dental care.
Four updates:
1. St. Paul, Minn.-based Hope Dental Clinic closed after more than 60 years because its efforts to raise more funding failed. The clinic was struggling with a lack of funding, leading it to lay off its staff in December. The facility required nearly $100,000 each month to keep its doors open, but efforts to raise this funding were not successful. The clinic filed for bankruptcy in February and announced its plans to auction off its furniture and equipment.
2. The Salvation Army Good Samaritan Health Clinic in Rochester, Minn., has only been able to open for a total of seven days so far this year because of staff turnover and a lack of volunteers. After losing several staff members and volunteers in recent months, the clinic has added new staff and is working on training them to return to their usual clinical capacity. The clinic has also hired a new clinic coordinator. The clinic is currently searching for a new hygienist and additional volunteers, and also plans to relaunch its dental consultancy committee to support the clinic.
3. Scenic Rivers Health Services’s nonprofit dental clinic in Cook, Minn., is struggling to return to its level of operation after suffering from flood damages in 2024. The clinic suffered extensive damage to its building and dental equipment after the city was hit with heavy rainfall last June, leading it to shut down for two months. It is now in need of additional funds to return to full operating capacity. The clinic received some donated dental equipment and support from state organizations, which has allowed it to resume care in four of its nine operatories, but is in need of an estimated $750,000 to fully recover.
4. Augusta Regional Dental Clinic in Fishersville, Va., may have to cut programs as it deals with rising costs. The clinic, which is a member of the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, has seen an increase in patient demand in recent years, with many patients unable to afford private insurance due to inflation and the rising costs of healthcare. The clinic is also facing increased operating costs and a lack of volunteers, which is leading it to consider reducing its program offerings, raising copays and accepting fewer new patients.