April 29, 2008 Lack of funds forces Maine clinic to shutdown Play video

(Amy Sinclair, NECN: Auburn, Maine) - Instead of asking patients to open wide, the hygienists here at the Western Maine children's Dental Center spent the day preparing to shut down. It's not for lack of business.

Beryl: "The need is phenomenal, we’ve seen more than a thousand patients in the year we've been here."

The problem is much more basic, this clinic that caters exclusively to low-income kids can't pay its bills.

Dr. Wicks: "I hate to say the clichés but it's about money."

Dr. Dennis Wicks, who provided the clinic's dentistry, says it's the same story in public health dental care across Maine.

He says their reimbursement level from MaineCare --the state's insurance system--isn't high enough for them to cover expenses.

Wicks: "however if we take the pessimistic attitude it's a formula of failure there won't be any care there's going to be a tremendous need that's totally unmet."

Sinclair: Maine care families don't have a lot of options. Private practice dentists are often unwilling to take them on because of the low reimbursement rate forget breaking even. It actually costs money to see the patients."

When you figure in the shortage of dentists across northern New England, you begin to see why more kids are showing up in emergency rooms with toothaches.

Sarah: "It's a huge problem that isn't going to go away soon we've just had budget cuts at the state level..."

Sarah shed who works with the

Maine dental access coalition, says the lack of preventive dental care will certainly cost Maine more in the long run.

Sarah: "for every dollar in prevention you save 8-52 dollars later on in restorative work."

Dr. Wicks says there are no overnight solutions.

Wicks: "I would like to challenge communities to collaborate with this care because it is so essential."

In the meantime they'll try to see more patients at their sister clinic in Augusta, but they know some kids care will fall through the cracks and it won't be a pretty picture later on.

NECN’s Amy Sinclair has more.