Highlights
Howard Dental Center is a 22 year old organization that serves patients from across Colorado who are HIV or AIDS positive. More than a dentist office, they also address other issues for their clients like nutrition and even housing.
During the height of the AIDS epidemic in the U.S. in the early 1990s, Dr. John Howard noticed that people were being turned away from dentist offices because they were HIV positive.
So, in 1994, he started Howard Dental Clinic with a group of dentists, to provide a place where patients living with HIV or AIDS could be treated without judgment, said Lili Carrillo, director of oral health care services at Howard Dental.
Staff from the center say the stigma still exists and patients often arrive at the center after being turned away from other dental offices. Some patients travel up to four hours to reach Howard Dental Center on Cherry Creek Drive. Others haven’t had dental care in two years.
One side effect of HIV/AIDS medication is dry mouth, which can lead to cavities and periodontal disease. Dental ailments can exacerbate pre-existing medical problems or create new ones, so the center aims to address health issues by working with other clinics.
In 2014, the center merged with Colorado Health Network, which includes Denver Colorado AIDS Project, Northern Colorado AIDS Project, Southern Colorado AIDS Project and Western Colorado AIDS Project, as a way of streamlining processes and expanding oral health care services throughout the state.
Howard Dental Center also has a network of local surgeons and dental specialists who work on a volunteer basis when their patients need special care.
The Howard Dental Center under the Colorado Health Network umbrella is a 2016 recipient of The Denver Postap Season to Share funds.
Hazel Ann Harris, the center’s patient services director, helps retain patients and tracks them down when they don’t show up for an appointment or lose touch with the center.
“We do our best to make sure they’re adherent to medication,” she said, adding that she even helps provide people with clothing and furnishings for their houses.
Patients are sometimes wary of dentist offices because of bad experiences disclosing their HIV/AIDS to other doctors, Carrillo said.
“Our patients are survivors,” David Zamboni, a hygienist at the center added, “I’m not talking HIV, I’m talking about life.”
Howard Dental Center
Address: 5050 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver 80246
In operation since: 1994
Number of employees: 10
Annual budget: $550,000
Percentage of funds that goes directly to client services: 90 percent
Number of patients served last year: 997
Total dental visits in 2015: 3,500