Are there any grants available to indigent people for dental care?

Question

I live in Alabama and my husband has just been diagnosed with heart failure. He has weak and missing teeth and that makes it difficult for him to eat the vegetables and fruits that he should include in his diet. Due to his medical condition he is unable to take ibuprofen for the pain that his teeth cause.If anyone could tell us how he can get the dental care that he is in dire need of we would greatly appreciate it.Or if you can suggest a method of pain relief that would not be harmful to a man with congestive heart failure , that would be helpful. Thank You.

He has signed up for medicaid but it could be up to six months before he gets a decision on whether or not he gets it.

Answer 1

Most dental schools will do some indigent care in turn for letting their students practice on these patients. However, your husband's CHF is a factor for any type of anesthesia. He should be able to take acetaminophen (tylenol) for pain relief, as that doesn't thin the blood like high levels of ibuprofen does. I would suggest that you speak with his cardiologist about appropriate pain control. And since he is indigent, he would probably qualify for the state's medicaid/medicare plan which would have somekind of coverage for treatment of his CHF. If he has periodental disease from poor oral healthcare, then that would likely be covered too.

Answer 2

Call any dentist and ask for help. They will either help you out or know where you can go for help.
Oral surgery is almost absolutely out of the question for a congestive heart failure sufferer. That has to be corrected first.

Bacteria from poorly maintained teeth actually attack the heart; people who floss regularly live longer. But your father needs to get a diuretic and blood pressure medicine to get his heart out of danger before you worry about his teeth.

Put his veggies in a blender and make a shake for him; it will taste funny but be good for him.

Answer 3

While I am not in Alabama (I reside in NJ) I suffer the same conditions as your husband...congestive heart failure (and diabetis) which both contributed to my poor dental conditions. It is important to consider (and you may already know this), that poor dental health is the "perfect' conduit for infection to enter o your blood stream and, thus do more damage to your heart. I live close to a major dental university and they have a program that allows patients to pay very reduced rates for tooth extractions and denture fittings. If I apply to the hospital, because my sole income is Social Security Disability, I will be eligible for charity care to cover the balance. Be aware, most major universities who have programs such as this have very long waiting periods. In my case, I applied to this program in 2015 and the earliest available appointment will be in November 2016...but I "grabbed' it. Additionally, depending on the severity of your husband's CHF, his cardiologist may be able to interface with the dental school and expedite the process. As for fruits and vegetables, I have begun to juice them, thus making them less painful to eat while still benefiting from their nutritional value. As for pain, I have been informed by my Heart failure doctor NEVER to take Ibuprofin for pain as it reacts with some of the cardiac meds that I am prescribed (particularly ACE inhibitors). I have been 'dealing' with CHF for 11 years now and as it has progressed, it is clear that I will be requiring a heart transplant. One of the preparations before I am eligible for transplant (among many) is that I resolve these dental issues...so...my suggestion (as a patient. not a medical professional) is to attend to them sooner rather than later.

Answer 4

Case managers direct consumers to a variety of offerings on the health facility, adding medicine, dental care and authorized offerings. They can furnish quick-time period counseling or refer humans to challenge intervention counseling through the health facility's psychiatric social employee. Case managers also are educated approximately gaining access to neighborhood assets for meals, refuge, substance abuse healing, intellectual wellness counseling and social offerings.

Answer 5

no call medicade in your state they can help you