Frederick County dental practice gives smile back to low income families

FREDERICK, Md. (DC News Now) — A nice smile can provide a lot of confidence for people, especially small children.

But for some low-income families, paying for dental services can be a hassle. Though thanks to a local dental practice, some Frederick County kids are getting their smile back.

“We understand that there are a lot of kids that don’t have insurance, they don’t qualify for insurance or don’t their parents don’t have the means to pay for dental treatment,” Treatment Plan Coordinator, Oscar Venegas, said.

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For the last 19 years, Dr. Harvey and Associates’ dental practice has provided several services from dental X-rays to cleanings. They help low-income families with a routine checkup at no cost.

“We don’t have the economic circumstances to be able to afford to pay for the treatment,” Carla Kuefro said. “So we’re able to still give our kids dental health care.”

For Juliana Frishkorn and her niece, Autumn, it was her first time going to the dentist. She says not having to worry about the cost is a great resource.

“Make it accessible to everyone, especially because the cavities can get worse if they’re not treated promptly,” Frishkorn said. “So it was nice, it was super comfortable, super easy and we were just in and out.”

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“I liked it and it was fun,” Autumn said. “It did feel a little weird at first but I still liked it.”

The event is also used to provide education for both the child and parent on how to keep up with the health of their teeth until their next visit.

“Teach their children what we’re teaching them here like flossing, brushing twice per day, and keeping up with their routine because 50% of the work is done here but the rest is done at home,” Venegas explained.

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