Provide Critical Dental Services to Oregon's Youth

Dr. Lisa Bozzetti, Virginia Garcia Dental Director, shares:

“More and more, we are witnessing the positive results of consistent oral health education with our families. For example, in one family we might see the six-year old, who has multiple silver crowns and missing teeth due to baby bottle cavities; a three-year old sibling with fewer cavities; and the baby, who has already been seen by a dentist at Baby Days, on her way to good oral health. As families understand the relationship between diet and nutrition and oral health through education, we expect that we will see even more improvement. Additionally, we are arming parents with the information they need to properly care for their children’s teeth and gums and encouraging them to bring their children in for regular appointments.

We are happy to report that we’ve observed that an increased number of kids are coming in, completing their treatment plans, and moving forward to better oral health. Parents arrive to our door thinking that cavities are an inevitable fact of life, a part of growing up for any child. After receiving education, they come to realize that decay is preventable and their children do not need to be in pain.”

Children, especially those who are under- or uninsured, are often excluded from our health care system and go without routine primary and oral health care.  According to the Oregon Health Authority’s Healthy Teens Survey (2009), more than 52% of eighth graders did not have a medical check-up or physical exam in the past year and 29% of 11th graders reported unmet physical or emotional health needs. Lack of access to oral health care also has a negative effect on the children we serve, as children from low-income families in Oregon suffer twice the rate of untreated tooth decay and are 30% less likely to see a dentist as children from higher income households.  

Thanks to your support, we are able to continue to provide dental care to serve this vulnerable population and improve the health of our community’s children.