Dental Health Care

There is an acute need for available and affordable dental health care in Nelson County. There are services available for children, including those offered by the health department's dental trailer at Rockfish River Elementary School and at the Children's Area Dental Access (CADA) in Charlottesville which accepts Medicaid.

Adults have a much more difficult time accessing care. Nelson County, a "Dental Health Professional Shortage Area," does not have enough dentists to serve its population, especially its low income, uninsured residents.

Blue Ridge Medical Center, in partnership with The Free Clinic of Central Virginia, the Thomas Nelson Health District and other area agencies, obtained and refurbished a dental trailer now located next to the Rockfish Valley Community Center. This satellite dental clinic provides dental services two mornings a week at very low cost to persons who are uninsured or who are living on low incomes. While this is an important step forward, we are aware that it is only a step-not a lasting solution to the problem.

Blue Ridge Medical Center's long range plan calls for a comprehensive dental clinic to be build at the Blue Ridge Medical Center campus in Colleen.

Dental applicants must meet the federal poverty guidelines.