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Dentist, orthodontist donate equipment to low-income clinic
By Carey King
Though it’s now autumn, spring cleaning by two Jackson County dentists recently resulted in a big win for the Blue Ridge Mountains Health Project.
After sponsoring several free mobile dental clinics in Cashiers, the Project – a coalition of area churches – is considering establishing a permanent clinic for low-income residents. Though the idea’s still in the planning stages, with organizers studying opportunities for private foundation grants and federal faith-based initiative support, one big need looms large.
Dental equipment.
And that’s where Drs. David LeMay and Ross Irvine of Sylva come in.
The dentist and orthodontist recently moved to new offices and – along with dentist Richard Vollmer of Georgia – were able to give the Project several truckloads of equipment and supplies valued at more than $45,000.
“My wife was happy because I cleaned out the basement here,” said LeMay, noting his pack-rat tendencies. LeMay donated a variety of equipment ranging from an air compressor and suction to the curing lights needed for composite fillings.
Irvine gave three dental chairs, 10 dental stools, light boxes, custom-made dental cabinets, couch sets, his former phone system, plus other dental supplies.
“I was real tickled they were able to use those things,” Irvine said. “They couldn’t have sold for very much but were still very usable.”
Retired dentist and Project volunteer Tom Smith of Glenville recruited the donations and hauled the items off to a storage site until an exact location for the clinic can be determined.
He promises to haul off any other supplies other area dentists are willing to part with.
“If it’s anything of a dental nature, I’ll come,” Smith said.
“He was like a kid in a candy store,” LeMay recalled.
“He took essentially everything,” Irvine said.
Dental services in the area are geared toward people with higher incomes, Smith said, with the Jackson County Health Department the only office offering treatment for those on Medicaid.
“Right now, the Project is trying to get registered with the state as a volunteer clinic,” Smith said. Retired dentists may apply for a volunteer license for $100, and Smith knows of five or six retired dentists in the area that “would love to help.”
“We’re excited about them setting up a clinic because there’s such a need here with all the Medicaid patients,” LeMay said. “There is a big need, but there are so few of us (dentists) for the population.”
Jackson County dentists “do a lot,” LeMay said, from treating children in the Head Start program to lower-income residents who have been on their offices’ patient rolls for years.
“We can’t do it all and keep a viable practice going,” he said.
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