NEW YORK, NY November 20, 2008 —The City Council is fighting back over a proposal to eliminate dozens of public dental clinics for the poor, most of them based in schools.

In hearings today, Health Commissioner Doctor Thomas Frieden said the proposal was not as dire as it may sound, because the clinics serve a small number of families, who have alternatives. Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo disputes the claim.

ARROYO: There’s an assumption that there’s a system out there that can absorb or provide the services, and I’m concerned that may not be correct.

REPORTER: Arroyo says there are often long waits at neighborhood clinics and public hospitals where the poor obtain dental care.

The Health Department says those who receive Medicaid are entitled to oral healthcare, but only 45 percent of them exercise this right.

Commissioner Frieden says his agency is trying to get private practitioners to take over the school-based clinics, or even take the equipment and set up their own shops, as long as they pledge to serve the Medicaid population.