On Row G of the Augusta Barnyard Flea Market, next to the colognes and
collectibles of ‘Granny’s Attic’, is a clean, sparsely decorated booth where no
one is selling anything.
A small sign in Spanish and English informs market patrons that here they can receive something for free--a dental exam.
The flea market--where everything is for sale, and vendors love to haggle and bargain--is an unlikely place to find dental care. When shopping for a vintage album or a custom screen-printed shirt, a dentist seems out of context. Most passersby of the Medical College of Georgia Dental Clinic at the flea market express their surprise with a raised brow or an audible “Huh?”
“A lot of people laugh because it seems out of place,” said Dr. John Blalock, assistant professor in the MCG Department of Oral Rehabilitation, who has spent several weekends leading students at the unique clinic site. “Many haven’t seen a dentist for quite some time and have questions.”
However, the location’s high volume of traffic (between 5,000 and 10,000 people per weekend, according to the market’s management) makes it ripe for treating a diverse population. That’s the main reason Dr. James Barenie went to his colleagues in the MCG School of Dentistry with the idea in January.
“My son told me about this inexpensive leather place out at the flea market, and my wife had said she wanted a leather coat for Christmas,” explained the associate dean for academic affairs and advanced education. “I had never been out there before, and right away I noticed the tremendous diversity--Chinese, Pakistani, native American Indians--a very different population than typically comes into our clinics at MCG. I thought to myself, ‘We have a lot of talk about diversity and here’s an opportunity for our students to see a group of people that would be totally different.’”
Dr. Barenie presented an idea of a flea market clinic to Dr. Carole Hanes, School of Dentistry associate dean for students, admissions and alumni, as a means to provide oral care to patients not typically seen in the school’s clinics on campus. He suggested supplementing dental students’ clinical experience with volunteerism at the booth.
“We are always looking for ways for our students to be involved with the community,” said Dr. Hanes. “This struck me as a way to take dentistry to the people and approach a whole different group than just the ones coming in our building. The students have a wonderful opportunity to see some things they wouldn’t see in just this clinical environment.”
After finding tremendous support for the idea among his colleagues, Dr. Barenie approached the Augusta Barnyard Flea Market’s management for assistance. As luck would have it, owner Richard Stewart was already on board; his wife was a dental assistant for 25 years and persuaded him to let MCG use the booth for free.
“That space would cost $170 a month if it were being rented,” said Chris Bennett, market manager. “But we’re happy to help because it’s a great thing for the students and for our customers, and it works out really well. We’ve had people say that it is a good idea and a chance for them to have examinations done at a convenient time. The fact that exams are free also helps a lot.”
Dr.
Barenie got to work bringing the idea to fruition, spending his spare time
painting, cleaning and prepping the space for dental exams. Dr. Hanes began
scheduling students and faculty willing to volunteer their Saturdays from 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Since the first patient was seen in March, MCG dentists and dental students have devoted over 40 hours a month in booth G-10 to promoting oral health. As scheduling permits, a member of each freshman, sophomore, junior and senior class staffs each shift along with a faculty member. So far, they’ve examined nearly 500 patients and dispensed advice and dental referrals to hundreds more.
Large maps of Richmond and Aiken Counties on the booth walls mark the location of all general and specialty dentists listed in the local phone book. Dental students use the maps to help market patrons find the nearest dental provider to their home.
“The thing these people need most is information, then some encouragement to follow up with care,” said Dr. Barenie. “A lot of people have been too afraid to go to the dentist or they have not sought care because of an economic reason. The main thing we do is answer their questions. These students and faculty do a great job of teaching them.”
Dr. Barenie noted many positive outcomes have developed from the school’s presence at the market. Fellow market vendors have referred family and friends to receive free exams at the MCG booth. Health care professionals who volunteer to treat Medicaid patients have stopped by the booth to discuss ways the dentists can collaborate.
The
program recently received a $50,000 grant from GlaxoSmithKline Consumer
Healthcare and the American Dental Association Foundation. Of the 178
applications submitted to the Access to Oral Health Care for Older Adults
Initiative, the MCG School of Dentistry was among six winners who received a
total of $225,000 to help improve older adults’ access to oral health care. The
funds will provide supplies for patient care in the flea market clinic and help
Drs. Rick Callan and Phil Baker, faculty in the Department of Oral
Rehabilitation, develop a program to treat patients in the nearby Georgia War
Veterans Nursing Home.
“We’re still in the earliest stages of a program with the veterans, but the whole point of this project is to increase the sensitivity of students to providing care for the elderly,” said Dr. Hanes. “That will come through the curriculum as well as the clinical experiences.”
For Lyndsey Harrell, a rising sophomore from Eastman, Ga., a Saturday shift at the clinic booth was an opportunity to get a head start in patient care off campus. For Jason McGovern, a rising fourth-year student from Willacoochee, Ga., it was a time to serve.
“This helps us get patients to the (dental) school or another dentist for treatment, but it also gives back to the community,” said Jason. “This morning, we saw a 5-year-old boy who had bitten the inside of his cheek. His mother was upset because the bed was full of blood. He has hemophilia and he bled a lot. We sent her to a pediatric dentist to see if there is something that can be done to prevent that.”
“It’s an eye-opening experience for students,” said Dr. Blalock, the faculty member working with Jason and Lyndsey. “This morning’s case was not something students can see every day in the dental school. The patients they see in the School of Dentistry are all screened and these are not, so students really get a variety of patient interactions.”
After visiting the market clinic, Dr. Hanes noted, “There really are a lot of unmet dental needs in this area--more so than I had thought. I’m proud of our students and their willingness to be involved in this and help the community have their dental needs addressed.”
- Ellen Gladden Jones