Dental Center at Family Health Care

Baldwin, Michigan

“This is the part I hate the most,” a 77–year–old female patient tells fourth–year dental student Angie Mathews as she prepares to administer an anesthetic.

As she examines a patient who has come to the Family Health Center for an oral checkup, Rachel Knorr relays information about what she observes to registered dental assistant Karin Platt.

Immediately, dental assistant Becky Kyser extends her left hand and tells the patient, “You can hold my hand, and I’ll give you a stress ball to put in the other to squeeze if you’d like.”

The patient does both and takes a deep breath just before Mathews injects the anesthetic.

“You’re doing great,” Mathews tells the patient.

“And you’re not even breaking my fingers,” Kyser says with a smile.

Moments later, Mathews finishes and asks the patient, “Are you OK?”

The patient takes a deep breath and says, “Yes.”

“Great,” Mathews responds, “You did so well.”

That moment exemplifies what takes place daily at the dental clinic in Lake County.

Located in one of Michigan’s poorest counties, dental director Dr. Marilyn Stolberg says the Family Health Center, which provides both dental and medical care, “is critical to the survival of Baldwin.” FHC also has facilities in White Cloud and Grant, Michigan.

The Baldwin clinic’s service area includes Lake, Newaygo, Mason, Osceola, Oceana, and Manistee counties. “Although we see patients from almost anywhere, patients from these six counties are eligible for a sliding fee that takes their income into account,” Stolberg says. Some patients drive more than an hour to receive care.

During the past 30 years, the Center has recorded more than 300,000 dental visits.

For the last six years Stolberg has been both dental director, supervising a staff of 18, and a mentor to U–M School of Dentistry dental and dental hygiene students who spend one week in Baldwin.

“Their energy and enthusiasm keep us on our toes,” Stolberg says with a smile, “and everyone here finds some way to mentor them.”

Stolberg says U–M dental and dental hygiene students receive a good education that prepares them for Baldwin. “When they’re here, they are exposed to what I call ‘reality dentistry’.”

“Reality dentistry,” she explains, “includes a patient’s physical and oral health, their lifestyle, income, and other factors.” Some patients are treated regularly at the clinic, but many, she continues, “haven’t been to a dentist in years and come here only when something hurts.”

Both Mathews and fourth–year dental hygiene student Rachel Knorr said they enjoyed their community outreach experiences in Baldwin.

“The pace is quicker because you’re seeing and helping more patients,” Mathews said.

Knorr agreed, adding she typically helped two patients in the morning and two in the afternoon compared to one patient in the School’s clinics.

“Our efforts to help the Michigan dental and dental hygiene students have succeeded because everyone here is involved in their success,” Stolberg says. “I tell the students that when their rotation ends, ‘You will be adopted by us because we’re emotionally connected’.”

“It’s been my experience that those who are the happiest are those who ‘get it,’ who understand we have a mission, which is to provide quality, integrated, and comprehensive health care services that are accessible to all.”