Radio Stories

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Update on Access to Dental Care in Champaign County - 8/01/03
AM 580's Jack Brighton interviews Claudia Lennhoff, executive director, Champaign County Health Care Consumers and Lisa Bell, director, Children's Dental Access Program, Champaign County about ongoing efforts to improve access to oral health care.

Update on Dental Hygienists - 7/22/03
Lobbyists for Illinois dentists and hygienists will try to reach and agreement next month that would give hygienists greater work independence. Current state law says hygienists cannot work unless a dentist is physically present. AM 580s Dave Dickey reports that some change in the law may be coming.

Why Are Doctors and Dentists Different? - 7/21/03
If a healthy mouth is so critical to a healthy body, why don't we go to doctors with our dental problems? Why do we have dentists who are completely separate from physicians? And why do those of us with insurance have separate policies for medical care and dental care? AM 580s Tom Rogers wondered delved into history to find an answer.

Fear of Dentists - 6/26/03
Throughout our Smile Healthy series, we’ve explored reasons why people are not going to the dentist or taking care of their teeth. People in rural areas are sometimes unable to physically get to a dentist. And in many cases the cost is prohibitive. But for some people, it has nothing to do with access or cost….it’s fear of the dentist that keeps them away. AM 580s Ali Kawa reports.

The Elderly and Dental Care - 6/25/03
Many barriers affect access to dental care for low income seniors in Champaign county. Some seniors struggle with finding transportation to appointments, identifying providers who accept Medicaid, and the out of pocket cost of care. WBCP's Ivon Ridgeway reports on these barriers to quality dental care for seniors.

How Illinois is Tackling the Issue - 6/24/03
Three years after the US Surgeon General released a report calling attention to the urgency of improving the nation's oral health, many Illinois citizens still suffer from unmet needs. Only about a quarter of practicing dentists in the state accept Medicaid patients, mainly because reimbursement rates are low. AM 580s Lynn Crandall reports on what the state is doing to address that and other issues.

Preventing Dental Problems Before Birth - 6/23/03
Oral health plays a role in everything from heart disease and organ transplant acceptance to soldier deployment readiness and premature births. But good oral health begins long before a baby's first tooth shows up. AM 580s Lynn Crandall reports on prenatal and early childhood dental health.

Policy Maker Interviews on Dental Access - 6/16/03
AM 580s Tom Rogers interviews Dr. Caswell Evans, National Center for Oral and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health (author of the 2000 Surgeon General's report on oral health) and Dr. Lewis Lampiris, Chief of the Division of Oral Health, Illinois Department of Public Health, and takes listener calls.

Barriers to Oral Health Care Access - 6/13/03
AM 580s David Inge interviews Paul McNamara, professor, College of ACES, University of Illinois and Stephanie Altman, Health and Disability Advocates, Chicago, and takes listener calls.

Results of the Rantoul Dental Fair - 5/29/03
Claudia Lennhoff, executive director of Champaign County HealthCare Consumers, and Lisa Bell, coordinator of the Champaign County Children's Dental Access Program, tell AM 580s Jay Pearce what they found out about the oral health of more than 50 children who attended the Smile Healthy! Dental Fair in May in Rantoul.

The Threat of Oral Cancer - 5/22/03
Dentists and dental hygienists contribute in many ways toward helping people live comfortably and enjoy life. They brighten smiles, relieve pain, restore decayed teeth, replace missing teeth and heal unhealthy gums. But a trip to the dental office can also save a life, because dental professionals are trained to recognize signs of cancer. AM 580s Lynn Crandall reports on cancers found in the mouth and throat.

Volunteer Dental Health Professionals and Charity Care - 5/21/03
Throughout our Smile Healthy series, we’ve explored the idea that people without money and without dental insurance are very unlikely to get dental care. And we profiled dental groups and agencies such as Illinois Kidcare and Medicaid that do offer reduced cost or free dental services. But the needs of Champaign County residents still go unmet. Dentists recognize the need…but look at charity care differently, as AM 580’s Ali Kawa reports.

The Children’s Dental Access Program - 5/20/03
Over the past 14 months, a Champaign County program has provided free dental care to nearly 700 children --- with the help of area dentists who provide their services for half price. The next challenge --- finding the money to keep it going. In today’s Smile Healthy report, AM 580s Jim Meadows explores the Champaign County Dental Access Program.

The Dental Access Working Group - 5/19/03
Oral health was a key problem that a group called the Community Health Partnership found when it organized two and a half years ago to tackle health care issues in the county. Their concern led to an offshoot group, the Dental Access Working Group, which in turn helped launch programs to improve access to care for children and lower-income patients. As AM 580s Tom Rogers reports, their work is far from over.

One Family's Story - 4/17/03
In February, we met the McCallister family of Tolono. The family had been hit hard by job lay-offs and illness making access to dental care a real challenge. The McCallisters were able to take advantage of one free program...but they've run into some new problems. AM 580s Lynn Crandall checks back with the family to see how things are going.

Giving Hygienists More Leeway - 4/16/03
Illinois could increase access to dental care if hygienists were given greater freedom to treat patients. Hygienists like the idea. But the Illinois State Dental Society has opposed the proposal. That has led to strong lobbying efforts by both sides in the state legislature. AM 580s Dave Dickey reports.

Recruiting and Placing Dentists - 4/15/03
There are 56 dental colleges across the United States and, for the moment, the American Dental Association says graduation rates are adequate to meet the needs of the U.S. population. But raw numbers don't tell the story when it comes to access for dental care. Where graduating dentists choose to work, and how many are minorities, are significant hurdles to providing dental services to the poor, minorities and rural residents. AM 580s Dave Dickey reports on the dentist shortage.

Patient Loads in Dentists’ Offices - 4/14/03
The 2000 U.S. Surgeon General's report noted a state of improved oral health across the nation during the last 50 years. It also pointed to an epidemic of oral diseases affecting many citizens, but especially children, the elderly and those with a limited income. AM 580s Lynn Crandall looks at the role patient loads in dental offices play in treatment for Champaign County residents.

Medicaid and Dentists - 3/20/03
If your family can't afford to see a dentist, you may qualify for dental treatment under Medicaid, the government's program that funds medical services for the poor, elderly and disabled. But Illinois' Medicaid system has its own income problems. And those problems have a direct effect on the approximately one-and-a-half million Illinois children and adults who qualify for dental care under Medicaid. AM 580s Jim Meadows reports.

The Dental Insurance Hassle - 3/19/03
Much of our Smile Healthy project so far has focused on those without dental insurance who can’t afford to get their teeth cleaned, worked on, or otherwise taken care of. But as AM 580's Ali Kawa reports…those with insurance experience problems as well.

Racial and Cultural Barriers to Care - 3/18/03
For many people, access to dental care is a matter of having the money to afford it. Having a convenient dentist nearby is also a challenge. That holds true with lower-income city neighborhoods as well as rural towns. For still others, proper dental care also involves bridging a language gap. AM 580’s Tom Rogers reports on the racial and cultural barriers to good oral health.

Dental Care in Rural Champaign County - 3/17/03
Ten townships in Champaign County have been federally designated as lacking in medical and dental services. AM 580's Lynn Crandall looks at factors that hinder access to dental care for rural Champaign County residents.

Dental Fair Results - 2/24/03
Listen to an interview with Lisa Bell, coordinator of the Children's Dental Program, at the Champaign Public Health District and Claudia Lennhoff, executive director at Champaign County Health Care Consumers, about the dental health of the children and parents who came to the Smile Healthy! Dental Fair.

One Family's Experience - 2/20/03
AM 580's Lynn Crandall introduces us to a Champaign County family whose struggles illustrate the link between oral health and overall health.

Dental Care and the Poor - 2/19/03
If you don’t have dental insurance or money, your oral care options may resemble a threadbare patchwork quilt. AM 580's Jim Meadows reports on the trials of two low-income Champaign-Urbana residents, needing dental services.

The Dental Health/Overall Health Connection- 2/18/03
The 2000 Surgeon General’s report brought to light an important connection - that between dental health and overall health. People with mouth infections are more likely to suffer from stroke, and heart and lung disease. Pregnant women with oral problems are more likely to deliver prematurely or have low-weight babies. But, many in the general public and even the medical community still fail to recognize these links. AM 580’s Ali Kawa reports.

Introduction to Smile Healthy! - 2/17/03
The difficulties of getting proper health care in America are no secret - lack of insurance coverage, access to doctors, Medicaid, patient loads and the like are the subject of frequent media reports. But little is reported about people facing the same problems maintaining their oral health. AM 580’s Tom Rogers introduces us to the problem.

Smile Healthy is a collaboration between WILL-AM 580, WBCP-AM 1580 and Champaign County Health Care Consumers. Smile Healthy is underwritten by Sound Partners for Community Health - a program of the Benton Foundation, funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which is dedicated to improving health and health care for all Americans.

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