Provide Critical Dental Services to Oregon's Youth

Despite a slow start initiating the funding of this project, our staff continues to accomplish so much with their resources! Frequently we hear positive success stories from providers about their experiences with the children they serve. An example of the impact we are making on the youth of our community is displayed in this patient story,

 “A 17 year old boy named David was a patient at one of Virginia Garcia’s dental clinics and was in great need of our help. His teeth were sticking straight out to the point where he could not even close his mouth. At any age, but as a teen especially it was a difficult dental condition to live with. With the help from our providers and an orthodontist, David has been able to go through with the process of getting braces and his teeth are looking great!”

Young people like David should not have to suffer due to lack of resources to maintain their oral health. At Virginia Garcia we pride ourselves on never turning any child away regardless of their ability to pay. Often we are their last hope when they have nowhere else to turn. The latest data available confirms that low income children are more than twice as likely to have untreated decay, almost three times as likely to have rampant decay, and they have annual dentist visits 30 percent less of the time.

We are making progress, however our work is not done until we reach our goal of providing critical dental services to all children in need in our community. We expect to have 6,000 children walk through our doors this year and need the resources to accommodate each of them. With your help this can happen! Thank you for contributing to our mission, we are truly grateful for your support!

Links:

• Profile on our LAP Hygienist, Karen Hall