Bill Milner has always loved helping others, so as a young adult he began volunteering at a public hospital and blood bank. The blood bank was next to a facility where surgeons and doctors looked after the people.

He thought he could do the same. This began his journey into dentistry and later the founding of Access Dental Care to help people with disabilities.

He knew that as a student he wanted to go to dental school one day. He thought of Indian Health Service because he could run around the reservations and help out when his family was in New Mexico.

His healthcare experience leaked through in North Carolina when he married his wife, Susan. She wanted to finish her thesis and he wanted to work in public health.

“I’ve been in the mouth, wet fingered for 45 years, but also part of my brain is public health and how to approach the community,” said Milner.

For 25 years he worked with parents to provide dental work. Then in the 80s you finally saw the opportunity to work with special needs. He believed that something had to be done in North Carolina because he saw a lack of thorough care. A program for the mentally and developmentally disabled was a goal he had to achieve.

Milner started an education program and small group meetings with the help of the North Carolina Dental Society. He then took five weeks off and roamed the British Isles, attending various dental programs serving people with disabilities in England, Scotland and Wales.

Milner said that there he had a vision of what is needed in North Carolina. With help from the North Carolina Dental Society and Randolph County Dental Society, they provided the initial $ 5,000 to collect mobile devices.

The state dental association, which awarded Milner the prestigious dental award in May, played a large role in his Access Dental Care business.

Access Dental Care is a nonprofit that is a replication project run by Apple Tree Dental, a Minnesota nonprofit. The dental center serves 33 counties with inquiries across the country.

In addition to the one in Asheboro, 98 other active facilities serve almost 2,000 patients with intellectual or developmental disabilities. 740 patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities, 502 patients in the PACE programs, 650 patients on the Central Carolina Health Network with HIV, and 11,571 patients in long-term care.

Milner also seeks to develop specialized dental programs for people in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, group homes, and home health and hospice programs.

According to the Dental Society, Milner received this statewide award for his contribution to dentistry for the elderly and disabled across the state. The award also recognizes that the services are not provided by any other organization.

Other people close to him, including his girlfriend Ann Hoover, appreciate the recognition for his commitment.

Hoover has taken the time to learn more about his service to older adults and people with disabilities in the community and has great admiration. She remembers her mother and how she was in assisted living after a stroke. Her mother had a removable partial denture that she removed a few times and could not find.

Hoover recalls being frustrated and stressed by the situation, and afraid of what they would do if they didn’t find it.

“I didn’t know Bill at the time, but I knew my dentist couldn’t cast and replace this part because my mom couldn’t handle the time or mouth positioning,” said Hoover.

With this recent award, Hoover hopes that more people in the community will become aware of the meticulous and thoughtful services that Milner provides to all patients.

Although Milner’s name is on the plaque, he believes the award applies to everyone associated with the program.

Along with those who have funded the past effort, he paid tribute to the dedicated people of North Carolina Medicaid. It also recognizes associations that work with people with disabilities, including the Arc of North Carolina, the Autism Society, and the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities.

“All of these good people have supported our efforts to do something very simple to provide basic, comprehensive dental care to the people of North Carolina. So it’s nice to be recognized, but it’s a total team effort, ”said Milner.

Comprehensive care is very important to Milner because he knows that many other dentists are not trained in the treatment of people with disabilities. Milner knows that there are good, caring dentists in the community, but they don’t understand how the brains of someone with a disorder like autism work.

He had one parent who went to five dentists before reaching him. He saw the tears flow because they can finally get proper dental care.

The shocked looks and the deep breaths of the visitors are what move Milner to press for more education and comprehensive support. This is what an initial conversation between Milner and the patient’s guardian looks like.

• Assure them: Help them understand that the facility can provide comprehensive care. Then, guardians understand that routine dental care is provided for their children.
• Understand behaviors: Depending on their behavior, 85 percent are cooperative to get the stool, 15 percent need medication to be able to calm down. Of these 15 percent, 5 percent require general anesthesia.

“First it is important that those responsible understand what we are about, then we mainly deal with behavior and movement, then we come to the mouth.

Routine services include regular audits on a three-month basis instead of a six-month to one-year audit. Take x-rays to find the problem, then create a treatment plan. There is no referral option as the dentists are proficient in general dentistry and oral surgery.

Milner’s goal is to show people that they have a dental home for the first time in their life. That they know that the dentists understand their needs.

The original article ran in the The Courier Tribune on July 22, 2021 but access is restricted so you can view the article here.