MCHD Dentistry is the BOM!
By Mary Wade Burnside
After all, we’ve got a lot going on.
We’ve grown so much this year after legislation made it possible for adult Medicaid recipients to use their benefits for dental work that we’re getting ready to expand MCHD Dentistry by two more operatories, with plans for another two down the road. This is thanks to a $50,000 grant from the Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health.
We launched MCHD Smile Express three years ago to take tooth care on the road to those without dental insurance, and we also hold two events annually for that same target group: Give Kids a Smile!, for kids 18 and under without insurance, in February; and Healthy Smiles Day, its counterpart for adults 18 and up.
Our third one is actually coming up, on Wednesday, Nov. 24, so if you qualify, you can call 304-598-5108 to make an appointment.
This past summer, we introduced same-day crowns, which can be created in-house using a digital scanner and a 3D milling machine. That means you no longer have to have a bunch of gunk shoved in your mouth to make an impression of your teeth, get a temporary crown and then come back when the real one is ready.
And while you’re getting work done, you can watch whatever you want on TV.
For these reasons and more, we’re hoping you will like us enough to vote for us for Best Dental Practice in Morgantown Magazine’s annual Best of Morgantown (BOM) contest.
You can do that by going to the Health + Wellness category and voting for MCHD Dentistry.
You can vote daily through Sunday, Nov. 21. So this is a situation in which we really can say, “Vote early and vote often.”
MCHD Dentistry was established in 1974 and it’s the only full dental practice housed in a West Virginia health department. Since 2010, our practice has grown tremendously. Back then, we had one dentist and one registered dental hygienist. Now we have three full-time and one part-time hygienists, plus three dental assistants.
After the departure of one of our dentists in September, Dr. Youseph Kassar, has been serving as interim program manager and will be joined soon by a second dentist.
“And, with more operatories, it opens up the possibility to bring on a third dentist in the longer term, while also adding on more hygienists and assistants to match the growth,” Dr. Kassar says.
Our patient count has grown along with us. In 2010-11, providers saw 2,160 patients at MCHD Dentistry. That number rose to 4,304 in 2016-17, and in the first nine months of 2021 alone, it skyrocketed to 6,200.
And MCHD Dentistry offers many of the same treatments as other practices, including comprehensive exams and cleanings, oral cancer screenings, digital X-rays, fluoride treatments, dental sealants, bridges, same-day crowns, dentures and partials, implants, root canals, simple extractions, bleaching and whitening, porcelain veneers and Invisalign clear aligners.
We also take most dental insurances as well as CHIP, Medicaid and CareCredit, and we have a new patient special and a sliding scale fee.
There are so many reasons we think we’re the BOM. You can check us out on our website, our Facebook and Instagram pages, and TikTok.
But don’t take our word for it. Listen to our loyal patients.
Like this one:
“MCHD is lucky to have Dr. Kassar. Such a great and humorous guy. Great with his patients.”
And this one:
“Accompanied my elderly mother here today and was so pleased with the kindness and respect she was shown by all staff members. The office was clean, bright, and cheerful. She was seen quickly and treated with sincere kindness. I wish more area health care providers would provide this level of service.”
And this:
“This is a fabulous dentist situation. They look into my gum health, which my previous dentist didn't do. It's a much more thorough exam. I never had such a thorough dental exam until I came here.”
So please consider going to BOM right now and vote for us, early and often, through Nov. 21!