For the first time in seven years, United Way of Douglas County has added an agency to its list of beneficiaries.

The Douglas County Dental Clinic, which provides free and reduced-fee dental services, has been approved for funds beginning in 2005.

Dr. Cheryl Spicka, a dentist at the Douglas County Dental Clinic, looks at X-rays of her patient, Eric Martinez, 8, as his sister, Edith Martinez, 10, waits. The clinic, 4920 W. 15th St., is the first agency in seven years to be added to the United Way of Douglas County beneficiary list.

David Ambler, chairman of the United Way board of directors, said the move was a sign of the financial strength of United Way and the board’s faith in increasing its campaign totals in the future.

“We’ve always got our sensors out to determine the community needs we’re not meeting,” Ambler said. “We direct some of our aid to those existing agencies to address those issues. But we’re always looking to see if there’s a new agency to fund to address some of those.”

The clinic was officially founded in 1999 but actually began operation in 2001. It currently is at 4920 W. 15th St., has a full-time dentist and will schedule about 3,500 patients visits this year.

“It’s kind of a stamp of approval,” director Jason Wesco said of the United Way decision. “Most people understand that the United Way doesn’t just throw money around. They make sure good things are done with the money that is given to them.”

The United Way decision will bring to 27 the number of agencies the organization supports. Two agencies have recently been taken off the list. Camp Fire USA has stopped offering services in Douglas County, and Emergency Services Council has merged with Ballard Community Center.

Ambler said the removal of Camp Fire and the ESC made it easier to begin supporting the dental clinic. The success of last year’s campaign, which reached its goal, $1.462 million, for the first time since 2000, also helped lead to the decision.

“We look at it not just in terms of whether an organization would be qualified, but whether we can sustain adding another group,” Ambler said. “It’s a little bit of how thin do you cut the pie if the pie isn’t getting any bigger. For the last several years, we had difficulty meeting our goal or exceeding it.”

Wesco said funding for the clinic currently came from fees and grants. He said he hoped the United Way money would purchase newer dental equipment and help keep fees low.

“We don’t want fees to ever be the reason people don’t come,” he said.