It all started in 2003
A coalition of local churches operated a three-night medical and dental clinic in Cashiers, NC with funding from the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina. Using only volunteer labor, 320 appointments were completed.1950, we have participated in nearly every major public lands victory.
A Timeline of Progress
Our accomplishments have not gone unnoticed by many health leaders in NC. The Dogwood Health Trust, North Carolina Dental Society, Foundation for the Carolinas, The Duke Endowment, WNC Bridge Foundation, Nantahala Health Foundation, Sisters of Mercy Foundation of NC, Highlands-Cashiers Health Foundation, and NC Department of Rural Health have all partnered with the Clinic to increase access to dental care in WNC. Additionally, the Clinic has been recognized as one of the top-performing clinics in the state by the NC Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NCAFCC) and by Blue Cross Blue Shield NC Foundation for the last three years.
2005
The Blue Ridge Mountains Health Project, Inc. was formed to create a permanent Free Dental Clinic in Cashiers to address the dental needs of underserved populations. The Clinic operated in a 1,400 square-foot space with used equipment and served 222 patients with one volunteer dentist and a hygienist.
2013
Board leadership supported a renovation of the Clinic that doubled its size to 3,000 square feet and provided the facility with new, state-of-the-art equipment within six operatories.
2016
The Clinic serves patients in our community with one Staff Dentist, 10 Volunteer Dentists, two Registered Dental Hygienists, and two Dental Assistants. Donor and foundation support enabled the Clinic to upgrade its radiology and charting systems to digital technology.
2017
The Clinic served 725 patients and performed 5,530 procedures at a value of $1,100,000!
2018
The Clinic’s staff dentist treats patients three days a week, hygiene is offered three days a week and ten volunteer dentists treat patients throughout the year, moving us to a five-day-a-week operation.
2022
The Clinic is much more than an extraction clinic, but in 2020 we concentrated on emergency dental care in response to the COVID-19 health crisis. We maintained all our staff, including our staff dentist, but all volunteer dentists suspended service with us. All our volunteers have since returned and we gained two more for a total of 14 volunteers! In 2022, we have been able to safely return to our comprehensive model that includes emergency, restorative, and preventative care..
2023
In 2023, the Clinic welcomed over 20 volunteer dentists and two volunteer hygienists. Along with our Clinic staff team, we completed more restorative procedures for patients than extractions.
2024
The Clinic is functioning with the highest level of leadership and adaptive capacities. As we entered 2024, a proactive Board and resilient staff has acted practically and swiftly to address the need to serve patients with more staff providers. With a clear vision and commitment to its core mission of providing comprehensive dental services to underserved populations, leadership recognized the opportunity to increase its 2024 budget to employ two staff dentists as well as two dental hygienists. Securing these employees will positively impact our service to patients by creating shorter wait times for services and increasing Clinic morale. Board leadership and staff have approached this as a strategic opportunity to increase patient visits, extend outreach and geographic reach, steward donors, recruit new volunteer dentists and ultimately, reorganize the organization’s structure to grow the Clinic and serve more patients in a more comprehensive way.
Our accomplishments have not gone unnoticed by many health leaders in NC. The Dogwood Health Trust, North Carolina Dental Society, Foundation for the Carolinas, The Duke Endowment, WNC Bridge Foundation, Nantahala Health Foundation, Sisters of Mercy Foundation of NC, Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation, and NC Department of Rural Health have all partnered with the Clinic to increase access to dental care in WNC. Additionally, the Clinic was recognized as one of the top performing clinics in the state by the NC Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NCAFCC) and by Blue Cross Blue Shield NC Foundation for the last three years.
Patient Information
If you would like to inquire about an appointment with the Blue Ridge Free Dental Clinic, please call (828) 743-3393.
Here are a few things to keep in mind before calling:
Office Hours
Office hours may vary, but someone is usually available to take your call Monday through Friday, 9am-3pm; please call for an appointment. If you reach our voice mail system, please leave a detailed message and someone will return your call.
Eligibility Guidelines
We serve patients living in Jackson, Macon, Swain, Haywood, and Transylvania Counties. You will be asked to provide proof of residency, such as a driver’s license or vehicle registration.
Patients are required to show documentation of income. You must provide proof of total household income, preferably a current tax return, in order to be treated. Other examples of proof of income include Form 1099s, paycheck stubs, and disability forms. When you call the Clinic for the first time, we will help you determine whether or not you fall within the income guidelines. Financial eligibility requires that your income is 200% or less than the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
We do not serve any patients who are on Medicaid (with dental coverage) or covered by any type of dental insurance.
Getting an Appointment
We take patients by appointment only, on a first come, first served basis, with priority given to emergencies. Please call (828) 743-3393 to begin the intake process.
When you call, be prepared to describe your current dental problem accurately. We will also ask if you have any other medical problems that may affect our ability to treat you.