The line for free dental care began to form last night at 9:30, nearly 10 hours before the doors were to open today at Papillion-LaVista South High School.

By the time the clinic closes on Saturday, more than 1,000 patients are expected to be served.

Stephen Scott of North Loup, Neb., was among those who camped out overnight to be among the first in line today. He and his wife slept in their car.

“I (wanted) to be ahead of the game,” he said.

He said neither he nor his wife has dental insurance. He had his teeth cleaned and his wife needed a root canal, a procedure that at a private office could have cost the couple $600 to $800 out of pocket.

Dr. Brett Thomsen, an organizer, said about 120 people were in line just before the doors opened at 7 a.m. He said he hopes more people turn out; the clinic has 140 dentist available to help patients.

The care is aimed at low-income people and those without insurance. The clinic is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Saturday. The high school is located at 10799 Highway 370.

People often drag their feet when it comes to visiting the dentist.

But that wasn’t the case in Papillion on Friday.

More than two dozen people camped out overnight Thursday outside Papillion-La Vista South High School to be first in line for free dental care Friday morning.

The service was offered from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and will be provided the same time today at the school, 10799 Highway 370.

More than 800 people were treated Friday with patients driving from as far as three hours away to get care. One patient came from Kansas.

About 140 dentists volunteered their time, said Dr. Brett Thomsen, an organizer.

The clinic, sponsored by the Nebraska Dental Association and Nebraska Dental Foundation, was aimed at low-income people and those without insurance. It’s open to children and adults. Childcare is available.

Stephen Scott and his wife, Dawn, slept in their car overnight Thursday to be among the first in line.

They talked to pass the time and ran the car’s air-conditioner to stay cool. But it was tough to sleep much.

Others who stayed overnight tried to sleep in lawn chairs. One woman had a cot. Scott said it looked like some people were in pain from teeth problems and couldn’t sleep.

He said he and his wife, who are from North Loup, Neb., work part time and don’t have dental insurance.

Scott had his teeth cleaned, and his wife needed a root canal. He said it was worth the three-hour drive.

Patients saved significant money at the clinic. A root canal costs $600 to $800 without insurance.

Lack of dental insurance and access to care are serious problems, Thomsen said. People who can’t afford a dentist put off taking care of their teeth, which can lead to health problems.

Gum disease, for example, can lead to bloodstream infections and heart problems. For kids, toothaches and other problems can interfere with school work because they can’t concentrate or don’t get enough sleep.

While eight of 10 Americans say taking care of their mouth, teeth and gums is “absolutely needed,” only one-third of them say they do an “excellent” job taking care of them, according to the American Dental Association.

This is the first time the dental organizations have offered the free clinic in the Omaha area. It has been offered the past four years at Grand Island, Norfolk and other cities.

2009 JUL 17 – (VerticalNews.com) — Assurant Employee Benefits, a leading marketer of life, disability and dental group employee benefits based in Kansas City, Mo., has expanded its PPO dental network by nearly 20 percent in 2009, placing it in the top three dental networks nationally.* The network now includes more than 112,000 referable locations nationwide, and is the largest network in four states: Colorado, Florida, Minnesota and Missouri.

The network increase comes at a time when customers are searching for cost savings due to the challenges posed by the current economic recession. Often cost savings can be recognized by customers using a dentist that participates in the network or is “in-network,” rather than out-of-network.

“Consumers know an important factor of good dental coverage is the availability of network dentists in their area,” said John Roberts, president and chief executive officer. “By expanding our network, we are giving our customers even more options in finding quality in-network care, which many times equate to saving money. We have invested a lot of resources into our recruiting area and expect the network to continue to grow at a steady pace in 2009 and in the years to come.”

The network expansion is the result of strategic partnerships and organic growth in its own PPO dental network, Dental Health Alliance, LLC(R) and is another example of the company’s commitment to providing quality dental benefits. On April 1 of this year, the company celebrated the first anniversary of the Family Share Max dental plan. An industry first, this plan allows family members covered under the same plan to share or pool benefit maximums, as opposed to each having a traditional individual dental benefit maximum.

Keywords: Assurant Employee Benefits, Economic Recession, EconomicsAssurant Employee Benefits, Economic Recession, Economics.

This article was prepared by Economics