Children’s Outreach Program

Our Outreach Program eliminates barriers to care for underserved children at many venues including schools, Head Start and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) centers.

This collaborative app­roach allows all the organizations to leverage resources, reduce barriers to care, and utilize existing channels to disseminate information and provide services. Our partnership with these organizations ensures that patients who might not otherwise access care will get the treatment they need and that oral health is a topic in the classrooms, in parent education workshops and in outreach materials provided.

At these outreach venues, our staff our staff deliver oral health evaluations, including x-rays, and procedures such as cleanings, topical fluoride application and sealants.  This stands in contrast to many other mobile programs which only conduct “screenings” by a dental assistant or hygienist with no x-rays, which cannot diagnose dental disease and should not be substituted for a complete exam by a dentist.  For more complex care, patients are referred back to our clinic.

Dientes provides oral health education and preventive services in 3 school districts (Pajaro Valley Unified, Live Oak, & Santa Cruz City), which is conducted in more than 14 schools.  The program has been a huge success since its inception in 2009, and we plan to double its size and impact this year.