The Blue Ridge Free Dental Clinic provides free dental care to low-income residents in western North Carolina. It started as a dental van in 2003 and now has a permanent facility with 15 volunteer dentists. The clinic has treated over 9,300 patients since 2005, performing procedures valued at $4.5 million. It expanded in 2012 to meet increased demand. The clinic relies on support from local churches, foundations, and organizations to continue its mission of restoring lives through affordable dental care.

2. Blue Ridge Free Dental
Clinic
Caring for our Neighbors

3. Our Mission
The Blue Ridge Free Dental Clinic
delivers high-quality dental care to
people who cannot otherwise afford
these critically needed services.
Motivated by the beliefs and core
values of our contributors and
founding churches, we restore lives,
one tooth at a time.

4. We have come a long way!
From Dental Van
2003…
…to Dental Office
2005 - present
Current location in Cashiers, NC

5. We now have a permanent facility and 15 volunteer
dentists, 10 of whom are pictured here.
Dr. Tom
Smith
Dr. Michelle
McDonald
Dr. David
Silverstein
Dr. Mel
Livernois
Dr. Craig
Ashton
Dr. David
Jones
Dr. Chris
Dyer
Dr. Tommy
Day
Dr. Bruce
Walker
Dr. Claude
D’Antonio

6. The Clinic has been
fortunate to find a
strong Executive
Director to direct daily
operations.
Karen Minton provides
us with her invaluable
experience in medical
and dental
administration.
Our Executive Director

7. Our Staff
Robby Cahill, Alisha Fricks, and Gale
Alford serve as Dental Assistants,
and Michele Collins works as Office
Manager…
while Nancy Buchanan
works as our hygienist.
Gale, Robby, and Michele
Alisha
Nancy

8. The Original Clinic – Pre-Expansion
The Free Dental
Clinic originally had
three treatment
rooms, an x-ray
room, a lab and a
sterilization area.

9. Today’s Clinic – Post-Expansion
In 2012, the Blue Ridge Free Dental Clinic perceived the need to
expand. We increased the number of treatment rooms and
upgraded our facilities to meet the increased demand...

10. An auspicious beginning!

11. New treatment rooms in the
completed portion of the
Dental Clinic...

12. …complete with state-of-the-art fiber-optic
handpieces, X-ray heads, and a
panoramic X-ray unit donated by the
Rotary Club of Cashiers Valley.
Panorex film of a patient in dire need of our services.

13. Our Patients
• Many have never
been to a dentist.
By the time we see
them, they are often
in pain and unable
to function
effectively in the
society
• Our patients are referred to
us by a number of sources,
including health departments,
local doctors and dentists, the
media, and other patients
• Median family income in
2013 85% of poverty level
Jackson County
46%
Macon County
34%
Transylvania
County - 20%

14. The Tooth Fairies!

15. Where would we be without that
dedicated troupe to promote awareness
and teach dental hygiene?

16. Dental Health Needs Expanding in Western NC
2013 Patient Report Est. Cost
New Patients 372
Returning Patients 927
Total Patient Visits 1299
Emergencies 404
Total Extractions 1130 $217,000
Root Canals 29 $25,000
Crowns & Dentures 52 $50,000
• Market value of procedures performed
since inception: $4,485,700

17. OUR TIMELINE of
GROWTH
2005
Inception to
Dec. 2013
Number of Dentists 1 15
Total Patient Visits 394 9,300
Emergencies 120 1,700
Total Procedures 1,779 32,600
Procedures per
Patient
4.5 10.8
Market Value $229,000 $4,485,700

18. But those are only statistics…

19. Ongoing Support
We are proud to have received major funding
from the following local churches…
• Cashiers UMC
• Church of the Good Shepherd
• Episcopal Church of the Incarnation
• Highlands First Presbyterian
• Highlands UMC
• Franklin First UMC
• Community Bible, Highlands
• St. Jude Catholic, Sapphire
• Lake Toxaway UMC

20. …Western North Carolina
philanthropic organizations,
• Cashiers Community Foundation
• Cashiers Cares
• Tis the Season, Highlands
• Cullasaja Women’s Outreach
• Mountain Findings, Highlands
• Highlands Community Foundation
• NC Community Foundation
• Rotary Club of Cashiers Valley
• Rotary Club of Highlands

21. • BlueCross/Blue Shield NC Foundation /
NC Association of Free Clinics
• Dawson Foundation
• Duke Endowment
• Kate B. Reynolds Foundation
• Gannett Foundation
• GlaxoSmithKline Foundation
• Hack Foundation
• NC Dept of Health and Human Services
• The Patterson Foundation
• Sisters of Mercy of NC Foundation
• Wade Hampton Foundation
…as well as these major foundations:
We are proud to receive additional funding from numerous
individuals, patients, and other churches and organizations as well.

22. In 2007, Robby Cahill introduced his idea of a
“Children’s Dental Health Project” to the Cashiers
Rotary Board of Directors.
Aimed at early prevention of dental decay, the project
was adopted by Rotary and implemented in 2008.
The program has three components:
Annual
Screenings
Weekly
Fluoride Rinses
Dental
Awareness
Days

23. In 2009 this program was
recognized by Rotary
District 7670 as Rotary
International’s
“Best Cooperative Project with
a Non-Rotary Organization”
Since then, the Highlands Rotary Clubs have begun
their own “Children’s Dental Health Project” and have
helped to raise money for the Clinic.

24. Blue Ridge Free Dental
Clinic
Cashiers, NC
We restore
lives, one tooth
at a time.
PO Box 451, Cashiers, NC 28717
www.blueridgefreedentalclinic.org
(828) 743-3393