Dental Health Fair returns, draws crowd of families | News

After a years-long hiatus due to the pandemic, the Guam Dental Society’s Dental Health Fair returned on Sunday at Micronesia Mall, drawing a crowd of families and brought to light some concerns about multiple clinics not accepting certain dental insurance. In those cases, families end up paying out-of-pocket for costly dental care.

“I think they should [have this event more often]. It’s really helpful to the community and good for the kids,” said Marvin Martin of Yigo, who attended the event with his wife, Megan, and their son Lucas.

The fair was held in celebration of National Children’s Dental Health Month in February, with the goal of raising awareness about the importance of dental hygiene.

Dr. Steven Nabogado, president of the Guam Dental Society, said the event targets underserved populations, particularly children who often face barriers to accessing dental care.

“Traditionally, children are sometimes an underserved population,” he said. “We always like to bring awareness to that because they’re not always seen as needing dental treatment. But kids as young as 1 need to see the dentist.”

The importance of developing good oral habits at a young age cannot be overstated, the dentist said.

“It helps them set up for life,” Nabogado said. “If you have good oral habits and see your dentist regularly, we can prevent a lot of diseases and other complications before they get too old.”

Mason Fernandez, a dental assistant with Guam Seventh Day Adventist, said she has witnessed firsthand how children can be anxious about visiting the dentist but she believes that events like Sunday’s Dental Health Fair are effective in easing those fears.

“They show you how to brush your teeth properly, or they give a lot of useful information with pamphlets,” Fernandez said. “And then the games, it’s just really good for the kids.”

The fair also provided local dental care providers an opportunity to present their services and connect with potential patients.

“It’s a great way for us to get to know different patients,” Nabogado said. “There are different types of dentistry for different specialties, so not just kids, but even parents can come here for orthodontics and specialty care.”

This was what brought Marvin and Megan to the fair.

“Early intervention brought us here because they let us know that, because [our son’s] grinding his teeth, that this might be a good place to start,” Marvin Martin said. “This is really good for the community because it’s open to the public. Anybody can come. It doesn’t matter your income or anything, really.”

Although the fair focused on children, Nabogado believes adults are also neglecting their dental health.

“Dental health care is usually sometimes looked at as supplemental or additional to medicine,” he said. “But it’s one of the core reasons 90% of a lot of diseases we have, have an origin in the mouth. So, it’s important to raise awareness for everybody, not just kids.”

The event also opened up opportunities for a wider range of vendors.

“All the dental offices got first dibs, but we opened it to any vendor that has a passion for oral health care for children, especially those selling hygiene and dental health products,” Nabogado said.

Cost of dental care

In light of rising health care costs, Nabogado was asked if he had noticed a decline in dental care visits.

“We’re seeing more people as they become more aware,” he said. “It’s hard when medical insurance is a factor, but there are programs based on income, Medicaid, and other options. Some offices work with you and offer payment plans. As dental providers, our passion is to help as many people as we can, so don’t let that be a deterrent. There are ways we can help you.”

While affordability is not their primary issue, Megan and Marvin Martin shared that navigating insurance coverage can be a challenge.

“Our problem isn’t really the affordability, but it’s insurance,” Marvin Martin said. “A lot of places on the island don’t take our insurance.”

He said they struggle to find dental care providers that accept their insurance, Cigna, an international plan.

“A lot of places take Cigna United, but ours isn’t that, so we end up paying out of pocket for most of us,” Marvin Martin said.

When asked about the financial burden of dental care, Megan shared that they paid out-of-pocket for their older son’s care.

“For our other child, for Future Smiles, without insurance, it’s around $7,000,” Megan Martin said.

The couple said cost can be overwhelming, but events like the health fair offer valuable resources for families in need.

“This event is definitely really helpful to find out more affordable health care as well as something that’s catered to you and your family,” Megan Martin said.

Beyond the fair

Nabogado said he hopes for continued efforts to raise awareness about the importance of oral health.

“We just want patients to be more aware of their oral health, especially for their kids,” he said. “If you haven’t seen a dentist in a while, we like to see them every six months, but at least every year, go ahead and establish care with one of the many dental offices that we have here available on Guam.”

The event featured booths from many of the island’s dental and oral health centers, offering fun games and activities while also providing dental health education.