When the Odle family had a career change, all five of their kids lost dental insurance.
“Unfortunately, our dental insurance changed, so we didn’t have any for the kids, which was terrifying because we have to,” their mother, Judy said. “It’s so important.”
The Odles were able to start getting care from Tri-County Dental, a volunteer-driven dental clinic serving people in Calumet, Outagamie and Winnebago counties. It was started 20 years ago by four local dentists in response to a need for dental care, especially among lower-income families.
The Odles have been going to Tri-County for the past five years, but when Judy was looking for local options before she found Tri-County, she was surprised by how few there are.
Dental care is critical to a person’s overall health, especially in children. But the pandemic and financial constraints have been barriers to families trying to access proper care, causing decreases in visits. Organizations like volunteer-driven Tri-County Dental help fill the gaps and meet thousands of students where they’re at, offering preventive care to avoid emergencies and keep students healthy and able to focus in school.
“When you talk about trying to set up children for success, they have to be in school, they have to learn and if you’re in pain because of tooth issues … that can impact a lot of things,” said Lisa Hintz, community outreach director for Tri-County.