The state budget bought time, but we must continue to protect Medi-Cal dental care

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Maria came to Dientes Community Dental Care with a molar that had been throbbing for months. She’d been managing the pain with ibuprofen — not because she was ignoring it, but because she couldn’t find a dentist who accepted Medi-Cal. As a farmworker in south Santa Cruz County, she couldn’t afford to lose a day’s wages to sit in an emergency room, let alone pay for the care that would follow. By the time she found Dientes, the infection had spread. 

What could have been treated with a routine dental visit had become a serious health risk.

Maria is one of nearly 18,000 patients Dientes serves each year. Ninety-seven percent of our patients live at or below the federal poverty level. Nearly half are Latino, and many work in agriculture and hospitality, the very industries that keep California’s economy running. For them, access to dental care isn’t about convenience. It’s about staying healthy enough to work, care for their families and live with dignity.

That is why the state budget signed this month brought welcome news. 

California’s leaders made the difficult decision to delay the proposed reductions to Medi-Cal dental benefits for one year. In a budget year defined by extraordinary financial pressures, they recognized that preserving access to healthcare — even temporarily — was a priority worth protecting.

We are deeply grateful. 

That gratitude is tempered by reality. The new budget gave community dental providers like Dientes a temporary reprieve, not long-term certainty, leaving thousands of patients and essential safety-net clinics facing another round of funding threats next year.

If the proposed reductions take effect next year, Dientes estimates it could lose roughly $2 million in annual funding — putting jobs, services and even clinic locations at risk while leaving an estimated 1,800 local patients without care.

The financial pressures facing California remain real, and federal actions continue to create uncertainty for the future of Medicaid and Medi-Cal funding. In Santa Cruz County, we have 73,913 Medi-Cal enrollees as of May 2026 out of a total population of around 260,000. That offers a broader portrait of how many in our community depend on dental benefits, beyond the numbers we serve.

Unless we continue making the case for oral health, these same conversations will return next year.

We’ve seen what happens when dental benefits disappear. Patients delay care until pain becomes unbearable. Small infections become medical emergencies. Emergency departments become dental providers of last resort. Clinics struggle to absorb the demand while provider participation declines. Rebuilding that capacity takes years.

We cannot afford to repeat that cycle.

Maria’s story is not an isolated incident. It is sometimes hard for those on Medi-Cal to navigate the system and to find providers willing to see them. Of the 10 private general dentists who accept Medi-Cal, five are currently accepting new patients in Santa Cruz County. In addition, Dientes and Salud Para La Gente are health centers that provide dental care.

At Dientes, we also know that government funding alone has never been enough to meet the needs of our community. Every day, we rely on the generosity of donors, foundations, corporate partners, volunteers and community organizations who step forward to help fill the gaps that public funding cannot. Approximately 8 to 10% of Dientes’ budget comes from philanthropy and  that critical support allows us to provide care to uninsured patients, invest in modern equipment, expand services and ensure that financial barriers never become barriers to health.

The partnership between public investment and private generosity is what makes our safety net resilient.

As we look toward next year’s budget, we hope policymakers continue building on this year’s progress. California has made remarkable strides in expanding access to dental care over the past decade. Protecting those gains requires sustained commitment — not only from elected leaders, but from healthcare providers, advocates, community organizations and philanthropic partners who believe that oral health is an essential part of overall health.

Here on the Central Coast, we are fortunate to be represented by legislators who understand both the importance of a strong safety net and the realities facing community health providers. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas has consistently emphasized protecting working families. Assemblymember Dawn Addis brought thoughtful leadership to difficult budget conversations as chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health. State Sen. John Laird, as chair of the Senate Budget Committee, helped navigate extraordinarily challenging fiscal decisions while preserving essential health care services.

We thank them for their hard work and know they will continue to advocate for public health.  

Maria’s story is a happy one. She received the treatment she needed. Six months later, she returned for a routine cleaning — the first preventive dental visit she’d had in years.

That follow-up appointment might not seem remarkable. In truth, it is exactly what success looks like. A person receives care before a crisis develops. A family avoids unnecessary suffering. A worker stays healthy enough to earn a living.

That is the promise of Medi-Cal dental benefits. It is a promise worth protecting. 

This year’s budget gave us time. We are grateful for the leadership that made that possible, and equally grateful for the community that stands beside us every day to ensure that, whatever challenges lie ahead, our neighbors receive the care they deserve.

Laura Marcus is CEO of Dientes Community Dental Care.