“Now that back to school immunizations are out of the way, parents should consider dental check-ups for children that have not seen a dentist in the past six months,” says Fulton County Health Services Director Dr. Patrice Harris.  Dr. Harris is reminding Fulton County residents that the Neighborhood Union Health Center is another resource in the County for children’s dental care.  The pediatric dental clinic opened earlier this year and offers services to children age 1 and up, every Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports, “Tooth decay (dental caries) affects children in the United States more than any other chronic infectious disease”.  According to the CDC, “untreated tooth decay causes pain and infections that may lead to problems such as eating, speaking, playing and learning.”

Additional CDC facts indicate that one in four American children is born into poverty.  Those statistics also indicate, “Children living in poverty suffer twice as much tooth decay as their more affluent peers, and their disease is more likely to go untreated.”  Neighborhood Union’s goal is to reduce health disparities for the uninsured or underinsured living or working near the clinic.

Neighborhood Union also offers uninsured or underinsured adult services on a sliding fee scale based on income. Medicaid is accepted.  Adult dental services are provided Monday – Thursday from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.  Citizens should call 404-612-9344 to make appointments. 

Neighborhood Union is located at 186 Sunset Avenue N.W., Atlanta, GA 30314.  Six other clinics in Fulton County also offer dental services to adults and children.  Clinic operating days vary by location. For more information or an appointment, contact the clinic nearest you.  Those clinics include:

• Adamsville Health Center, 3699 Bakers Ferry Road, S.W. 30331, (404) 699-4203 (Children Only)
• Aldredge Health Center, 99 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive, S.E., 30303, (404) 730-1471 (Children Only)
• Center Hill Health Center, 3201 Atlanta Industrial Parkway 30318, (404) 699-6377 (Children Only)
• College Park Health Center, 1920 John Wesley Avenue 30337, (404) 765-4220  (Children Only)
• Lakewood Health Center, 1853 Jonesboro Road, S.E. 30315, (404) 624-0630  (Children Only)
• North Fulton Health Center, 3155 Royal Drive, Suite 125, Alpharetta, Georgia 30022, (404) 332-1809  (Children Only)
• North Annex Health Clinic, 7741  Roswell Road, Sandy Springs, Georgia, 30350, 404-612-CARE (2273)  (Children and Adults)

For more information about children’s dental health, visit http://www.cdc.gov/OralHealth/topics/child.htm