WHEELING — Wheeling Health Right’s new dental suite is up and running at its headquarters at 61 29th Street in Wheeling, and its executive director believes that addition will help drill into a waiting list of more than 200 patients looking for dental services.

The new suite was created by taking existing space at the health clinic and renovating it into a second dental suite, executive director Anne Ricci said.

It marked the final phase of the major expansion of Wheeling Health Right’s dental clinic, which began in 2023.

That doubled the clinic’s total number of dental suites from two to four. The new fourth suite includes a state-of-the-art dental chair, cabinetry and essential equipment and supplies.

Oral health is more important than many assume, Ricci said. Good oral health leads to good health in so many other areas, while bad oral health is the first domino to topple with other health issues.

“Dental care truly transforms lives,” she said. “Oral health directly impacts nutrition, chronic disease, employability and confidence.”

The dental suites aren’t just for cleanings and extractions, she said. They also are open for time-sensitive procedures such as complex restorations and dentures.

Wheeling Health Right provides health care to more than 27,000 uninsured and underinsured patients in the Upper Ohio Valley. Many of those patients work multiple part-time jobs to make ends meet, Ricci said, so this dental clinic is an essential resource for the working poor.

“Our dental clinic started in 2016,” she said, “and it has become one of our most in-demand programs. Just adding this operatory will allow us to go a little further and see even more patients.”

Funding for the new suite was made possible through grants from the Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health and the Encova Foundation of West Virginia.

Ricci said the easiest way to take advantage of Wheeling Health Right’s dental services is to call the clinic at 304-233-9323 or visit its website at wheelinghealthright.com and click “Become A Patient” at the top of the homepage.