HOULTON, Maine — More than 100 northern Maine residents received free dental care this week at a mobile clinic set up in Houlton. The clinic, part of the Caring Hands of Maine program, offered exams, cleanings, fillings, and extractions to individuals without regular access to dental care.
The temporary clinic operated Monday through Wednesday inside the Rollerama skating rink on Main Street, a facility run by the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians. Patients traveled from as far as Caribou and Fort Kent to receive care, according to Dr. Timothy Oh, founder and director of the nonprofit.
Dr. Oh said access to dental services in Aroostook County has significantly declined, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. While a few dentists remain in the area, many no longer accept new patients or MaineCare insurance.
“Most people tell us, ‘I’ve been trying to get a dentist for four or five years,’” Oh said. “That’s the backlog we are trying to help.”
Over the weekend, Oh and his team moved $250,000 worth of dental equipment into the rink, transforming it into a fully functioning clinic equipped with modern tools and X-ray technology.
Caring Hands of Maine has been traveling to rural communities across the state since 2010 and has visited Aroostook County regularly since 2016. Clinics have been held in towns like Houlton, Fort Fairfield, and Caribou. Alongside patient care, the program also trains dental students. More than 400 students have participated in the clinics so far, with 13 returning to Maine to practice dentistry.
For this week’s clinic, students from the University of Connecticut, Tufts University, and the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health performed procedures under the supervision of Dr. Oh and Dr. Ron Albert, a professor at the University of Connecticut.
Oh, who teaches at Tufts and the University of New England College of Dental Medicine, said the program helps expose students to the needs and opportunities in rural health care.
“We got a call from Katahdin Valley Health Center. They’re recruiting a dentist and want to meet our students,” he said. “We’re trying to introduce people to rural health opportunities. It’s working. One of our trainees is from Houlton, and now he’s working here.”
Funding for the clinic comes from Caring Hands of Maine and Aid for Kids, a nonprofit based in Houlton. Dannette Ellis, of Aid for Kids, coordinated logistics, housing, and meals for volunteers. The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians donated the space for the clinic.
