Interfaith Dental Clinic

Our group took a tour of the Interfaith Dental Clinic on Patterson Street in Nashville and talked with Dr. Rhonda Switzer.
This 76,000-square-foot facility serves the working poor. A team of 300 health-care providers offer care for people who need all types of dental work.
The clinic is the only faith-based, private comprehensive clinic in Middle Tennessee.
United Way funds about $135,000 of a $1 million budget, but Switzer says the connection with UW goes deeper than just funding. Not only is being a part of UW a seal of approval, but it helps them track their success.
Patients can pay on a sliding scale, which is based on the number of people in their family and their poverty level. There is currently a eight-month waiting list for appointments, unless a patient is in pain. The clinic works in three to four people every day if they are suffering.
Switzer feels that dentistry is the biggest unfilled heath need in this country, and she is certainly doing her part to provide care for those who need it.