NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Adults on TennCare are having a tough time finding a dentist that accepts the insurance.
Last month, 600,000 adults became eligible for dental benefits.
Howard Allen is one of the people who will benefit from the insurance. NewsChannel 5 introduced him to viewers last month when TennCare made the announcement.
On Wednesday, he had his first dentist appointment in a long time. He's only seen a dentist three times in the last 20 years. Allen used to experience homelessness.
"When you’re formerly homeless, your mouth is usually one of the first to mess up on you, because you really don’t have a chance to have what ordinary people have," Allen said.
"He has missed so many dentist appointments in those 20 years. He should’ve had 40 appointments, but he said he only had three. Three and 40 — there’s no comparison," said Dr. Harvey Latimer of Harding Dental Center.
Latimer is one of a small number of dentists who agreed to take TennCare when they began offering dental coverage to adults last month.
"There’s not enough providers. They don’t want to be involved with serving the underserved, and the compensation is low," said Dr. Latimer.
For Dr. Latimer, it's not about the money. He said it is about making sure everyone has access to quality care.
"I remember my mother struggling to find a dentist that would see me when I was younger. That inspired me to be a dentist," said Dr. Latimer.
Thanks to Dr. Latimer, Allen won’t have to struggle to hide his smile for much longer. Dr. Latimer said Allen needs a lot of work.
It may be a long journey, but Allen said it's a moment he's been wanting for a very long time.
“I feel pretty good, but it will make me feel more confident. For poor people or people in poverty, we deal a lot without, and we’re no different than anyone else. This is real. I'm doing it. I thank the Lord," said Allen.
Dr. Latimer is accepting new patients.
