LINCOLN - A dental clinic for low-income people may open next spring in Lincoln, but Logan County health officials are waiting for a grant from Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation to fund it.

The Logan County Health Department expects to hear by the end of the month about its application for a $293,068 grant, said department Administrator Mark Hilliard.

"Our research has indicated that oral health is the top issue affecting social and long-term health in Logan County," Hilliard said.

"People can't afford it and dentists aren't accepting Medicaid patients because the government is behind in making the reimbursements," he said. "So, what is happening is that people who need dental care are going without."

The answer, Hilliard said, is a clinic at the health department.

The health department has promised to spend $60,823 of its own money for the project, but adding the clinic won't mean having to expand the present facility, he said.

"We have eight exam rooms, and we don't use all of them on a consistent basis," he said. "So, we can take three of those and remodel those into dental rooms, and we are sure that we will be busy right away."

Logan County Chairman Dick Logan praised the idea of a clinic.

"We think it's a great opportunity for Logan County if the funding comes through," he said. "It would certainly fulfill a need and it would be great for our citizens."

Earlier this year, Delta Dental of Illinois awarded a $10,000 grant to the department for buying toothbrushes and educational tools for Logan County residents.

"I'm not sure if receiving that grant will help us or hurt us with the new grant request," Hilliard said. "I think it indicates we are serious about the problem and want to do whatever we can to address it."

If the latest grant is approved, the money would be available in November. Construction on the new offices would begin immediately, he said.

"Since opening a dental clinic would be something new, we have asked for input from various local dentists and clinics to find out the best direction to go," Hilliard said. "We would need some cabinets and some products specifically designed for dental offices, but we think we could hit the ground running."

Hilliard says the goal would be to have the dental office in operation by March. By the of the 2009, it could be self-sufficient, he said.