Everyone enrolled in Medi-Cal, the state’s public health insurance program, is eligible to receive free dental care. However, many patients can’t regularly make it to the dentist—or send their children to one—because they live in rural areas where services are scarce, transportation is a challenge and parents can’t afford to miss work.
That’s where Smile, California comes in, providing a Mobile Dental Van to bring services to patients throughout the state. On April 21-22, the van kicked off its 2026 efforts here in Hollister, where the program parked outside First 5 offices on Tres Pinos Road to serve as many San Benito County Medi-Cal patients as they could.
“Your county has very passionate health officials and they want to make sure this county is cared for,” said Dana Durham, Branch Chief of Medi-Cal Dental Services. “With their commitment, this felt like the right place to start.”
The van’s trip to Hollister was the result of a partnership with the California Department of Health Care Services and First 5 San Benito. Over the two-day visit, the van was fully booked with appointments for 31 local patients of all ages.
Under Medi-Cal, children younger than 21 are eligible for two preventive visits each year. Adults are eligible for at least one annual dental exam. The services are available at no cost to eligible Medi-Cal members.
The Mobile Dental Van brings these services—including preventive and restorative—to families in harder to reach counties, year round.
“For San Benito County families, access to dental care should never depend on where you live or how far you can travel,” Durham said. “By launching this initiative here, we are showing our commitment to meeting families where they are and making sure they can use the benefits they already have.”
While in Hollister, in addition to providing dental care Smile, California representatives were also on hand to assist families in finding a long-term dental provider and understanding their Medi-Cal benefits.
Having healthy teeth and gums is an integral part of any individual’s overall health—especially children—as complications can lead to other medical concerns, Medi-Cal advocates said at the April 21 kickoff event.
“Early dental care is critical to a child’s ability to learn, grow and thrive,” said Luisa Power, Executive Director of First 5 San Benito. “We are honored to host this kickoff and grateful to our partners for investing in the health of our children and families.”
