Dental clinics will open this fall

Dental clinics to serve Medicaid and uninsured patients are expected to open in Sturgis and Coldwater by the end of September after approval of an inter-local contract Thursday.
The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency board has approved a recommended agreement with non-profit My Community Dental Centers.
Health Officer Rebecca Burns said it will fill a much-needed service in both communities, neither which has enough dental providers to serve the lower-income population.
Medical Director Lauren Vogel said tooth decay is an infectious disease that can lead to diabetes and other infections in the blood stream.
Primary-care doctors have found it difficult to find referrals to dentists who will treat Medicaid patients and the uninsured, according to Vogel.