Dentistry in a hospital? A real need

Going to the hospital to have a tooth yanked? Not as unusual as that might sound. An Oconee Medical Center official says the patient rolls of the busy emergency department show many people show up at the emergency room to be treated for a toothache. Heather Goss, executive director of OMC’s Mountain Lakes Access Health, says the volume of dental needs that show up in emergency visits lend to the need for an established clinic in the walls of the hospital. OMC’s assessment of community needs adds credence to that, also. “Dental emergencies were one of the top three reasons that the un-insured visit the Emergency Department,” Goss said. The clinic, now under construction, will rely on volunteer dentists from the community and is targeting an opening date by the end of the year.  Hear more about 11 medical needs as highlighted in the OMC community assessment during 96.3/WGOG’s ”Community Sound Off’  on Sunday.