New Healthy Smiles dental center sees its first patient

Oral clinic in Martinsburg officially opened office this week

By Erienne Greene / Journal staff writer

Dental assistant Nicole Balintfy X-rays Autumn Thomas, the first patient at the Healthy Smiles Community Oral Health Center, on Tuesday.

MARTINSBURG - A 5-year-old girl played patiently with building blocks in the waiting room of the new Healthy Smiles Community Oral Health Center Tuesday, probably not realizing that she would be the very first patient to be seen at the brand new clinic, which opened its doors Monday.

Autumn Thomas came in with her mother, Brennah Thomas, of Summit Point, because Autumn needed a checkup.

Brennah Thomas admitted that she was relieved to hear about the center's opening because her daughter was in need of some basic oral care.

"We have Medicaid and it's really hard to find anyone to work on someone without dental insurance, without paying a huge amount of money," she said. "I think it's absolutely great, for children especially."

Autumn was seen by the center's dental director, Leonisha Thomas, who previously worked at a dental center in Virginia and is not related to the girl or her mother.

Leonisha Thomas said she would be doing a comprehensive exam on the girl, including taking some X-rays.

"It's exciting that we're seeing patients now," she said. "We've been ready for this."

While in the dentist's chair, Autumn was tended to by dental assistants Kathlena Atwell and Nicole Balintfy, who helped do the X-rays on her teeth.

Leonisha Thomas then tended to the little girl, who remained calm and smiling during her checkup.

Healthy Smiles is the result of a community need being addressed head-on by advocates in the area including Betty Russell, who initially spearheaded the entire project four years ago.

Prior to the establishment of the center, Russell, the wife of oral surgeon Dr. Dean Russell, recognized the local need for access to dental care. With the help of The United Way of the Eastern Panhandle, she started the Mission of Mercy free dental clinic that took place in June 2008 and July 2009.

Those two-day clinics brought in thousands of people seeking dental care, and the abundant turnout helped spread awareness to local organizers that a permanent facility for such care was greatly needed.

Today the nonprofit center, which hosted an open house last Tuesday, is located at 58 Warm Springs Ave. A capital campaign is under way, with a goal of raising $300,000 over the next three years for expansion of the facility.

The facility will work to meet the needs of the uninsured and underinsured, accepting patients with dental insurance, CHIP or Medicaid, and it will offer a sliding-scale fee for patients who meet income requirements.

Healthy Smiles Community Oral Health Center is a service of Shenandoah Community Health, and it was brought about by the combined efforts of Shenandoah Community Health, Healthy Smiles Inc., the United Way of the Eastern Panhandle and supporting partners.

The center can be reached by calling (304) 267-0250.

- Staff writer Erienne Greene can be reached at (304) 263-8931, ext. 183, or egreene@journal-news.net