WQOW TV: Eau Claire, WI NEWS18 News, Weather, and SportsChippewa Valley may get free dental clinic

Chippewa Valley may get free dental clinic

Eau Claire (WQOW)- The Chippewa Valley Free Clinic is looking to expand their services into dentistry.

 They're applying for a series of national grants to receive money for starting a free dental clinic. It would be the first clinic of its kind in western Wisconsin. The first grant would be for $75,000 to develop a plan for the clinic. They would then apply for another grant after nine months, which would be for $750,000 over the next three years. The Executive Director of the Chippewa Valley Free Clinic says he's hopeful they will get the money, because it would really provide a much needed service in our area.

 "There's a lot of people that need dental care,” Brent Hafele, the Executive Director says. “According to a united way study about 5 years ago, approximately 60 percent of low income people needed dental care, and needed some sort of work in their mouth. And we have seen that only grow at the Chippewa Valley Free Clinic, so we want to be able to help that problem if we can."

 The Chippewa Valley Free Clinic will find out in January whether or not they got the money. Many local legislators like Ron Kind and Jeff Smith have sent letters on behalf of the free clinic to the foundation for the grant.