10/10/12 - A dental clinic serving low income Livingston County residents is getting a funding boost that will help to provide care for pregnant women. The VINA Community Dental Center has been awarded a $65,000 grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan to help provide dental care to low income residents but also launch the new âVINA Bright Start Dental Programâ. The pilot program will allow the clinic to provide dental care to more than 160 low-income pregnant women enrolled in the federal WIC program. VINA Grant Coordinator and Periodontist Dr. Christine Love tells WHMI the program aims to help improve a motherâs overall health and dental health along with that her child while also allowing the clinic to track the success of both as they get older. She says one reason they wanted to extend care to this population was the link between pre-term birth and low birth weight babies and poor oral health. Love says are working to develop the program now and expect to launch it in early December. She says they will be hiring a dentist and hygienist to see the patients but expects they will address a certain group at a time, likely giving higher priority to those who have existing issues or a history of dental problems. The grant will be presented to the clinic at its annual tailgate-themed fundraiser next Thursday, which is a competition between Michigan and Michigan State fans to see who can raise the most in donations for the clinic. Details are posted in the link below. (JM)
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