HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Under Medicaid, only select Alabamians qualify for help with dental services, that is why a North Alabama nonprofit has made it its mission to help everyday people gain their smile- and their confidence back.
“I’ve heard stories of people kind of hiding back in the shadows,” said Rachel Kellum. “They won’t go to church. They watch online because they just can’t be in public. That way, they won’t smile. They cover their face.”
That’s when Restore Dental steps in.
Kellum is the executive director of Restore.
It’s a Christian-based non-profit that aims to help those in North Alabama gain their smile back despite all the ways that life’s been tough.
“We provide access to complex or critical dental treatment to underserved, marginalized populations in North Alabama and beyond,” said Kellum.
“Primarily, we see domestic violence victims, we see veterans, we see people who’ve come out of drug recovery,” she said.
Kellum said most of their patients need extensive and complex dental work.
“Most of our patients are coming in either having no teeth, having few teeth, or they might have teeth that they’re unable to save,” said Kellum.
She said their mission is to give people their smile back, all while reshaping their life and their confidence at the same time.
Maybe they’ve gotten through a drug rehab program,” she said. “They’ve been clean for several years, but then they go to apply for jobs, and everyone just kind of makes assumptions based on their mouth. So, that’s where we can step in.”
Kellum said patients apply to Restore Dental directly online.
Then, a local dentist will offer a free consultation to determine the work someone may need and how much it will cost. They will also help determine if you are a fit for the program.
From there, a grant committee will look over applications and determine if they can help.
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