The Piedmont Virginia Dental Health Foundation (PVDHF), the driving force behind the Community Dental Clinic, received a three-year grant from The Harvest Foundation in the amount of $603,195 for indigent dental care.

The Community Dental Clinic served nearly 5,000 individuals in 2016, and since the clinic opened in 2006, there have been more than 41,400 patient visits providing more than $9.3 million in dental services to unemployed and uninsured children and adults in Martinsville-Henry County. Emergency dental visits to SOVAH Health Martinsville, formerly Memorial Hospital of Martinsville and Henry County, have decreased by 31 percent over the past six years, according to information provided by PVDHF.

“The Community Dental Clinic provides a valuable service to Martinsville-Henry County,” said DeWitt House, senior program officer at The Harvest Foundation. “The clinic is well-organized, efficient, and provides a variety of dental care for the patients served. The staff and volunteers at the clinic do an amazing job and are committed to the continued success of the clinic. We are fortunate to have an organization of this caliber in our community.”

Dr. Mark Crabtree, president of the PVDHF Board of Directors, said the dental clinic is the only solution available for those in need who cannot afford care in a private, fee for service dental practice.

“We are grateful for Harvest’s substantial support of the Community Dental Clinic,” Crabtree said. “They have been a significant part of our efforts from the very beginning, and we owe our success to their generous funding.  This significant three-year commitment makes it possible to continue providing dental care to those who have no other place to access quality dental care. This truly improves the health of thousands in our community.”

The Piedmont Virginia Dental Health Foundation works in partnership with the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, providing externships to dental students who provide care in the community. The organization also partners with Patrick Henry Community College to develop the community dental health coordinator and dental assistant programs, as well as local dentists who volunteer their time at the clinic. Other partners include the City of Martinsville in addition to The Harvest Foundation.

To find out more about PVDHF and its services and programs, visit www.piedmontdental.org.