According to the National Institutes of Health, lack of access to regular dental care can result in ineffective and expensive overuse of emergency departments.
North Charleston Dental Outreach provides access to basic dental care for low-to-no income, uninsured individuals in the Chicora-Cherokee community who cannot afford treatment at private dental offices. Services include dental screenings, restorative and preventive care and emergency extractions. It accepts patients with Medicaid or no dental insurance.
“Basic dental care to us is what’s medically necessary, instead of just what can people afford,” explained Elijah Melendez, NCDO’s director of development. “We treat people that other places might turn away.”
A faith-based endeavor, the Charleston Baptist Association established the charity dental clinic in 1998 at Charleston Heights Baptist Church off Reynolds Avenue after the Naval Base closed. Thousands of people lost their jobs, and the once prosperous area experienced economic decline.
It moved to its current location at 3625 Azalea Drive in November 2022. Since then, NCDO has seen 2,500 unique patients and rendered $2 million in treatment value.
Founder and Dental Director Dr. Bill Sasser earned his DMD from the Medical University of South Carolina in 1973, and, after completing his residency, he started a private practice that he operated until 2005. Dr. Sasser then embarked on what he described as his “second career.” He volunteered with the CBA clinic and another charity dental clinic on Johns Island and also started taking dental students overseas to volunteer, which he still does today.
By 2016, the dental clinic had passed hands from the CBA after losing its funding and Dr. Sasser stepped up to run it. Plans were conceived for the Azalea Drive location, but funds were needed to achieve them. “It takes a lot of people to come together in order to accomplish something like this,” recounted Dr. Sasser. Friends helped with construction, the business plan and fundraising.
NCDO is the culmination of a three-fold vision devised nearly a decade ago. Dr. Sasser saw the tremendous need in Chicora-Cherokee and believed that he could help with the oral health aspect.
Services were originally limited to tooth extractions but phase 2 later kicked in – operating four days a week and offering cleanings, fillings and extractions. Phase 3’s goal is to deliver full services five days a week. “We’d like to think we could be a prototype for how other communities could do something like this,” expressed Dr. Sasser.
Mondays and Tuesdays are reserved for patient appointments and Dr. Sasser sees new patients on Wednesdays. On Thursdays as well as on Tuesday evenings, NCDO hosts a walk-in emergency extraction clinic. One Friday a month, pediatric dentistry is offered in partnership with the Charleston County School District and MUSC’s Pediatric Residency Program.
NCDO is funded through grants, private donations and its Beacon of Hope campaign fundraiser. Most equipment and artwork have been donated. The facility currently has two paid part-time dentists and 12 volunteer dentists. NCDO’s biggest need is recruiting additional staff to run the clinic. “It’s sort of a special calling really,” asserted Dr. Sasser. “It’s trying at times, but it’s also very rewarding.”
On Mondays and Tuesdays, MUSC dental students rotate through the clinic supervised by MUSC adjunct faculty volunteers in a 1:1 mentorship, primarily treating patients for fillings. “The idea with that is we want them to get some hands-on experience,” noted Dr. Sasser. “We’d like to think we are raising up the next generation of volunteers.”
Working with volunteers and community partners has reduced NCDO’s average cost of care to $125 per patient, said Melendez. Patients are asked to contribute whatever they can toward that cost, which typically averages $25 to $50 per patient per visit.
Melendez emphasized that NCDO is helping to prevent hospital visits and restore quality of life. “We’re just trying to get them out of pain. And then for folks who have never been to the dentist before, we’re trying to help them understand the importance of oral health and oral hygiene.”
Learn more at northcharlestondentaloutreach.com or call 843-740-7114.
By Colin McCandless
