Published: Friday, December 26, 2014 at 12:56 a.m. Last Modified: Friday, December 26, 2014 at 12:56 a.m.

WINTER HAVEN | Central Florida Health Care opened its Winter Haven dental clinic as scheduled this month, another step in Polk County's ongoing effort in 2014 to boost access to dental care.

The clinic isn't limited to the uninsured.

Like Central Florida's Lake Wales and Frostproof dental clinics, people with insurance can be patients there, too.

But reaching people whose income and lack of insurance keep them from routine dental care is why Polk County approved spending $500,000 from the sales-tax-funded indigent care program to let CFHC start a dental program in Winter Haven.

Lance Anastasio, a member of the volunteer Citizens HealthCare Oversight Committee, saw one of those families Dec. 19 when committee members toured the facility.

"There was a mother there with two boys, 12 or 13," he said. "They wanted her to go into the (exam room) with them. They had not seen a dentist before."

The dental clinic is on the same site as the community health center's medical clinic, 1514 First St. N. It has a separate entrance and waiting area, Anastasio said.

"I'm very impressed with what's been accomplished with the funding allocated," he said, praising the modern X-ray equipment and the clinic's electronic-medical record link to other CFHC clinics.

Reaching people whose only recent encounters with dentists were for extractions is vital to their health, Central Florida officials said.

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Central Florida Health Care: Dental Clinic Offers Care to Low-Income, Uninsured