SIDNEY — In late December, Compassionate Care of Shelby County, the county’s only free health and dental clinic, received a $4,000 grant from the Delta Dental Foundation’s Brighter Futures Community Grant for 2016.

This grant will help provide access to free quality dental care by professional volunteer dentists and hygienists for the uninsured and under-served in Shelby County county.

Compassionate Care’s Oral Health Program provides access to quality dental care and education, and encourages patients to realize that oral health has a direct effect on their physical health. Dental professionals agree that continued preventative care throughout the year will help prevent painful dental procedures later.

“CCSC is very fortunate to have many dedicated dentists and hygienists volunteering their time to help with the oral health of our patients,” said Executive Director Traci Milanese. “Thanks to the Ohio Administrative Code, dental hygienists can now practice when a dentist is not physically present. This has resulted in an increase in available appointments with our dental hygienists for dental cleanings and preventative education.”

The Delta Dental Foundation is focused on ensuring that children and adults in Ohio receive high-quality oral health education and high-quality dental care.

“Adults miss 164 million hours of work each year because of dental issues,” said Teri Battaglieri, Delta Dental Foundation director. “By helping to fund Compassionate Care’s Oral Health Program, we can help increase access to high-quality dental care for our under-served and working poor adults so they can continue to show up for work pain-free and help to avoid serious and expensive health issues down the road.”