MDA Foundation Journal Column
$10K Grant to Utica Clinic Makes Quality Dental Care Possible
By Anne Berquist
Foundation Director of Development
After 19 years of providing dental care to impoverished residents of Haiti through mission work, Dr. Robert Antolak and some of his fellow volunteers asked a question that would change the focus of their service and ultimately change the lives of hundreds of Michiganians: “What are we doing locally, in our own communities, to help those with no access to care – either medical or dental?”
Yes, the providers were doing pro-bono work for some patients in their practices, but they perceived a need for a clinic that could offer treatment on a larger, more consistent basis to more people who needed it. After three years of foundational and organizational work, the Trinity Community Care Clinic opened in Utica in 2011. It is a faith-based 501C(3) non-profit organization that relies on grants and corporate and private donations for its funding. In 2024, the MDA Foundation provided a $10,000 grant to Trinity Community Care, enabling the clinic to replace an aging 1990-era panoramic X-ray machine with a used, refurbished one from Quality Dental Equipment in Pontiac.
Trinity Community Care serves those who are uninsured, or underinsured, and have incomes at or below 250% of poverty federal level. Scarletta said the underinsured primarily receive medical treatment, as they may have insurance with deductibles that they cannot afford to pay.
Located on the busy Van Dyke corridor, the clinic is tucked in behind a strip mall. It’s easy to miss if you’re not looking for it, says Amber Scarletta, its executive director. But people are finding it and receiving the care that otherwise would not have been available. Both Antolak, the clinic’s dental director, and Scarletta hope that as more providers learn about the free clinic in Utica, they will be inspired to volunteer their services.
“We are always hoping for more volunteers so we can build capacity for more treatment and more care.” He said that any dentists who are interested in volunteering can call him directly at 248-854-9263 and leave a voicemail. Scarletta invites anyone to contact her at [email protected].
In 2024, the dental clinic provided treatment to 115 patients, some with multiple visits. Currently, there are four or five dentists, two hygienists, and a fluctuating number of dental assistants who volunteer at the clinic. Additionally, some third- and fourth-year dental students from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry practice at the clinic under the supervision of an on-site dentist. Services provided include extractions, full-mouth extractions, partial or complete dentures, restorations, and oral hygiene. Scarletta said in six months the clinic provided 99 dental hygiene/exam treatments, 141 fillings and extractions, eight dentures and 172 other dental services. The clinic is open for dental care two Fridays and two Saturdays per month and sometimes has staffing for Sunday hours as well. Medical care is provided on the alternating weekends.
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“We treat all patients with respect and dignity,” Antolak says. Scarletta says patients 19 years and older, of any nationality or religion who meet the income qualifications, can receive care, although there is a waiting list for services. “Patients are so grateful for the care they receive,” Antolak remarks. “I had a patient who was in his 70s and had never been to a dentist. He couldn’t stop crying and was so joyful at getting the help needed.”
A man of faith, Dr. Antolak feels fulfilled by his role in helping establish and volunteering at Trinity Community Care. “I always knew I wanted to be of service and share the love of Jesus and the gifts and healing capacity given to me by him through dentistry,” he says. The clinic exists today because of “a number of like-minded individuals in the health care industry who united to serve in Jesus’s name to make an impact on others’ lives.”
Your donations to the MDA Foundation enable it to support the work of free and reduced-cost dental clinics in Michigan. When you contribute to the Foundation, know your dollars are being directed to help those in the greatest need.
Last article in this series. See also Dr. Antolak’s commentary on the Back Page of this issue.
