Oral hygiene is important for many reasons -- overall health and well being paramount among them. It may also effect someone's ability to secure employment.
According to one state agency that helps with job placement, having bad teeth can affect whether someone is hired or not, which is why there was a program aimed at helping these people.
A legislative audit of the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation released this week however, discovered the Ely office of the agency spent more than any other office in the state.
The audit found that 41 percent of clients at that Rehabilitation Division office had dental work covered, as opposed to about 5 percent of clients statewide.
The problem went undetected for four years, possibly due to lax oversight and referrals coming from dentists and employers whose sole purpose was getting free dental care.
From fiscal years 2009 to 2013, more than 330 people who worked through the Ely office received dental work, averaging about $1,100 in care.
Shelley Hendren, administrator at the Rehabilitation Division of the Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation is one who helps people with disabilities to land jobs by offering them coaching and training services. The primary focus is on helping clients work and live independently.
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Shelley Hendren, administrator, Rehabilitation Division at Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation
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