Today we’d like to introduce you to Janette Marvin.
Hi Janette , it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
We began in 2018 after someone came to our church with a request for help getting dental care. I had assumed there was help from some governmental agency and set out to find it only to discover there wasn’t any as the individual didn’t have Medicaid or income. We realized there was a large number 0f people who were in great pain, unseen, and not able to get any help for dental care. After doing studies on just how many people in our county might need help and after much prayer, we decided a Nonprofit should be created in order to help. Within 15 days of setting up Dental Share Network, we began sending people to dentists to receive care. While it was created to help Lauren’s County residents, we also do matching funds up to $250 for out of county individuals who simply cannot get help in their counties. Spartanburg Community Dental and Palmetto Denture Care work with us and we pay them immediately when care is given. They appreciate the upfront payment, and we are grateful for the care they give. Most of our individuals have not had dental care for many years if ever, so they are typically in great pain. This has impacted their ability to go to school, hold jobs, and eat healthy foods. Missing teeth prevents many from getting jobs so we have been offering Partials and Dentures as our funds allow. When they do get dentures, this has a huge positive self-esteem impact on their lives. Removing the stigma of not being able to get care is one of the biggest hurdles we are trying to overcome. For individuals who do have a small income but no insurance we come along side and help with information, and work with them if the bill is too high for them to manage. Our goal is to be able to offer more dentures and partials and to have a once-a-year free clinic day hosted by any willing local dentists and funded by grants. This year so far, we will have helped almost 200 individuals with 30 receiving both extractions and dentures or partials. With dental care being one of heath cares most expensive areas to cover, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to Delta Dental for their generous grant this year. %100 of every donation goes directly to the dentist for each individual that gets care.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Some of hurdles we had to overcome was finding dentists willing to work with us. When they realized we would pay upfront they were much more willing to work with us. Another issue is the lack of transportation on the patients’ end. Often, they simply don’t have reliable cars or they are homeless. Missing appointments at first was an issue so we have been putting into place ways to avoid either missing appointments or making sure they are rescheduled. Understanding the difficulties our patients are living under is necessary in order to find solutions that will work across the board.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My career is in the field of art and I specialize in large murals. It involves some travel to locations where I paint and it’s been a wonderful opportunity.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
The advice I would give to anyone wanting to start a program in their area is to study the actual needs and just do it! The lessons will be learned as you go along and the issues to solve will pop up but with prayer, they can be solved. As to finding a mentor, I received help and advice from individuals who had started nonprofits, and I asked many questions. Don’t be afraid to ask people questions they are very willing to help. It’s easier to gleam information from someone who has experience than to try and go it alone blindly.
Pricing:
- Price for dentures $1000.00
- Price for 1 partial top or bottom $450.00
- Average cost per patient multiple extractions $500.00
- Average cost for cavity repair per tooth $200
- Average cost for Wisdom tooth extraction $400.00
Contact Info:
- Website: www.DentalShareNetwork.com
