When adults are struggling to make ends meet, they often put off needed dental care because they can't afford it. A grant awarded to the Ozarks Area Community Action Corporation by Skaggs Legacy Endowment will help Stone and Taney County residents get that care.
It will provide participants with an income at or below 125 percent of the Federal Poverty Level a voucher for up to $1000 in dental work at a participating office.
OACAC's Stone County Neighborhood Center supervisor, Shyra Bilyeu, hopes the grant will improve more than a patient's dental health. She said poor oral health can cause chronic pain and impact appetite, nutrition, speech and sleep and has been linked to diabetes, heart and lung disease and stroke.
More information is available at the Stone County OACAC Neighborhood Center and at the OACAC Taney County Neighborhood Center.