Demand for high-quality, affordable dental care remains significant, as more Israeli families struggle with the overall cost of living. The overwhelming majority of the Clinic’s patients do not have dental insurance. The Slome Center continues to provide care to record numbers of children.

Expanding Prevention Programs

The JDCC is also seeking to finally launch a national prevention program that will have a dramatic effect on the country’s oral health, all the while reducing the cost of dental care. The potentially positive impact on the Israeli population cannot be over-emphasized. A national dental prevention program would impact hundreds of thousands of children, minimizing their need for dental care. It would save families the pain and suffering associated with toothaches and dental disease. A prevention program will benefit poor and working families for decades as they go through life with less need for dental care thus saving tens of millions of dollars over their lifetime. It would positively impact the oral health of children for generations to come.

Cooperating with Jerusalem Dental Schools

The Center is in the planning phase to expand participation in a collaborative prevention program, with the cooperation of the Hebrew University- Hadassah School of Dental Medicine and Al-Quds University in East Jerusalem. The program is modeled after our pilot study that decreased cavities by 90%. The Center is also in preliminary discussions with Harvard School of Dental Medicine, as well as other universities, to join the study. This program will enhance dental education and care in greater Jerusalem, and throughout Israel.

Results

A cornerstone of maintaining one’s overall health is to protect their oral health. Maintaining oral hygiene, and preventing cavities and other diseases, is a key component to these efforts. The clinic has been at the forefront of promoting and adhering to this proactive, preventive approach.