Dr. Chris Stevens on the job.
Even if people have health insurance, teeth aren’t often covered, says Jason Millis, operations manager at Affordable Dental Care. And if people do have dental insurance, plans often don’t cover enough, adds Millis. “That’s why our clinic is intended to cover the uninsured and the underinsured.”
Affordable Dental Care, a nonprofit dental practice, will open its doors next week in a larger building it renovated in Northgate Shopping Center on Aberg Avenue. The new clinic will double clinical capacity and allow it to bring in new technology, says Millis.
Founded by Tim Buck in Whitewater in 2009, Affordable Dental Care moved to Madison in 2018 with the help of Dr. Robb Warren of Warren Family Dental. The organization has a $1.4 million budget and nine employees, including a full-time dentist, Dr. Chelsea Kepler, and a part-time dentist, Dr. Chris Stevens.
The clinical staff also includes a full-time hygienist, full-time and part-time dental assistants, and a bilingual patient care coordinator. There is also administrative staff and some volunteers that help out at the clinic. Jason Krause, the president of the board, is filling in on management duties while the nonprofit seeks its next executive director.
Operations manager Jason Millis.
In 2023, Affordable Dental Care had 2,700 patient visits; 322 of those were for emergencies. Nearly 30% of its patients were Spanish-speaking.
The organization does not accept private insurance or BadgerCare but offers its services at 50-70% off standard dental practice rates. For patients unable to pay, there is a program that offers up to 80% off of the clinic’s already discounted rates.
Roughly 54% of the group’s funding comes from patient fees with another 45% coming from grants from government, private foundations, and companies. The organization also holds two fundraisers each year. The Smileathon is done in conjunction with the Madison Marathon in the fall, and Sparkles and Smiles will return in Spring 2026.
Delta Dental of Wisconsin Foundation, the Alexander Company, and the state of Wisconsin Department of Administration, which recently awarded the nonprofit $700,000 through its Grants for Local Projects program, provided the bulk of funding for the group’s new building.
“This has been a long time coming,” says Millis, “and we’re excited to see the results of our work.”
This article is part of The Nonprofit Issue, the special November 2024 print edition of Isthmus. See the other stories here.
