Think going to the dentist is scary? Imagine not being able to.
Take the story of Nancy White, a 68-year-old Santa Cruz resident facing a dire dental predicament due to financial constraints and the lack of dental insurance.* Unfortunately, her story isn’t uncommon. Many people from low-resourced families defer dental care—the cost is simply too prohibitive. This all changed when Nancy found her way to Dientes Community Dental Care.
Dientes has been an integral part of Santa Cruz County for over thirty years, transforming lives through healthy smiles. As a nonprofit, community support has been crucial to its success in creating a dental home for patients and making prevention more common than treatment. The backbone of Dientes’ mission is the understanding that oral health is vital to physical health and overall well-being.
“There’s dignity that comes from a healthy smile,” Dientes CEO Laura Marcus said. “Often we take our smiles for granted, but a healthy mouth enables people to eat without pain, smile without shame, and move confidently in the world.”
That’s what Nancy experienced after receiving care at Dientes. In Dientes’ new state-of-the-art clinic on Capitola Road, Nancy received the dental care she needed at no cost, reflecting Dientes’ unwavering commitment to accessible dental healthcare.
“Good health shouldn’t be reserved for those with the means to access care. At Dientes, we work hard to ensure that cost, insurance, income, race, language, and transportation do not prevent people from visiting the dentist. At the end of the day, the care we provide helps achieve health equity,” Marcus commented. This holiday season, you can give the gift of a healthy smile to a neighbor.
Of the 82,000 people on Medi-Cal in Santa Cruz County, nearly two-thirds are not able to go to the dentist, according to a 2022 needs assessment. This doesn’t even capture those who are uninsured, like Nancy.
Good health shouldn’t be reserved for those with the means to access care. At Dientes, we work hard to ensure that cost, insurance, income, race, language, and transportation do not prevent people from visiting the dentist. At the end of the day, the care we provide helps achieve health equity. — Laura Marcus, CEO of Dientes Community Dental Care
Nancy’s health journey encapsulates Dientes’ mission. She commented, “I’ve been so appreciative, almost like a renewed hope that I am going to be able to continue with dental care because of the affordability, which is a big issue for me.”
Her words resonate with the 16,000 people Dientes serves each year. The reach of Dientes grew 30% this year thanks to the new Capitola Road clinic at the health and housing hub in Live Oak. This December, the clinic will celebrate its first anniversary.
Including the new site at Capitola Road, Dientes has four clinics throughout the county and operates an Outreach program that brings a mobile dental team to where people are, making care accessible for people with transportation issues.
Dientes’ impact is making waves beyond Santa Cruz County. Earlier this month, Dientes received national recognition for their leadership in promoting community-oriented oral health to the underserved from the National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA). Dientes CEO Laura Marcus was present to accept the award.
“We simply couldn’t do our work without our community’s support. The generosity we see every day, especially through community-driven initiatives like Santa Cruz Gives, enables Dientes to transform lives, one smile at a time,” Marcus commented.
The Santa Cruz Gives campaign, a local online holiday giving campaign, is live until December 31st. You have a chance to give to your favorite causes, including Dientes, all in one place and have your gift matched! Donations to Dientes’ SC Gives campaign enable them to continue offering free and reduced-rate affordable care to people like Nancy. Every donation, big or small, contributes to a healthier, happier Santa Cruz community.
“Dientes doesn’t just offer dental care. We’re opening pathways to confidence, health, and well-being. We invite you to join the outpouring of support for our community through Santa Cruz Gives.” Marcus said.
You can keep Santa Cruz smiling by donating to Dientes at santacruzgives.org/dientes. *This patient’s name and information have been changed to protect confidentiality.
