Mobile Dental Unit Arrives in Southern Ohio

Residents of Brown County who are age 60 and older have had a unique opportunity during the month of April. Through a grant from the Area Agency on Aging District 7, Inc., junior and senior year students from the Ohio State University College of Dentistry have been on-site for one day a week providing seniors with much needed dental care.

The OSU/AAA7 partnership program was piloted last fall in Pike County in cooperation with the CAC of Pike County Senior Services. The brainchild of Dr. Abdel Mohammad, Director of Geriatric Dentistry at OSU, this mobile dental clinic has improved hundreds of lives of older adults. The Appalachian Outreach project is an outgrowth of the mobile dental service provided to nursing homes in the Franklin County area by the OSU Geriatric Dental Clinic. The school also has a Geriatric Dental Clinic on the grounds of OSU that is available to seniors one day a week.

The outreach project has been so successful that arrangements have been made to provide the mobile dental services in each of the ten counties served by Area Agency on Aging District 7, Inc. by the end of 2001. The next stop is in Adams County in May. Appointments can be set up by calling Donna Friend, Director of Adams County Senior Citizens at 937-544-3979. Dental services include cleaning, extractions, fillings, and cleaning, relining and repair of dentures.