San Benito Health Foundation provides free screenings
The San Benito Health Foundation staff and volunteers hosted
their 9th annual Give Kids a Smile Day Feb. 19, with free dental
screenings for children up to age 12, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
San Benito Health Foundation provides free screenings
The San Benito Health Foundation staff and volunteers hosted their 9th annual Give Kids a Smile Day Feb. 19, with free dental screenings for children up to age 12, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The annual event served as a chance to promote preventative dental care in the community as well as offering an open house for people to see improvements to the Health Foundation’s dental offices.
“This was all we had,” said Victoria Vasquez, a health foundation board member, who showed two old dental stations that are no longer in use at the site. “They are pretty worn out.”
She and Edwin Acosta, the dental director, showed visitors around the new side of the clinic, which has six functioning work stations where two full-time and two part-time dentists work with patients every weekday. Two more dentist chairs are being reupholstered, but will be in service soon.
“We are going digital and will be chartless,” Acosta said, adding that they have a room set aside for a Panorex X-ray machine, though Acosta said the machines can be hard to come by.
All of the equipment at the Health Foundation dental office is funded through donations and grants. Clients pay on a sliding scale depending on their income, and Acosta said the services include teeth cleanings, check-up sand some dental work. At this time, the dentists do not offer root canals, crowns or other expensive procedures.
“Two years ago we had one dentist,” Acosta said. “Now we have three.”
In the last two years the capacity to serve patients has increased from 15-20 clients a day to as many as 65.
Acosta stressed the things patients can do to avoid major dental work.
“You hear about preventative medical, but preventative dental is overlooked,” he said. “We really tell everybody, you have to floss once a day before bed and brush your teeth twice a day. Ideally come in for early exams. Those under 18 should come in every six months.”
The message seems to be sinking in with the clients, Acosta said.
“When I first started, I had more people coming in with emergencies,” he said. “Now I am seeing a trend in coming in for regular check-ups.”
The dentists work to build up a rapport with the kids, and Acosta said some of the kids seem to look forward to their visits, joking with the dentists.
“We try to keep them out of a stressful situation,” he said. “We try to make the kids feel comfortable. We give them high fives, fist pumps. They come back with a smile on their faces.”
During the open house event, volunteers offered fun activities for the children as they wanted their turn for a dental screening. In a conference room near the entrance to the building, brochures on prevention and models of healthy teeth were on display. Children worked on arts and craft projects, and snacked on a healthy treat, celery with peanut butter and raisins. They even had a chance to have their picture taken with the tooth fairy. Natasha Guaracha, San Juan’s Chicken Queen, and her sister Aviona Guaracha dressed up like fairies.
“[Health Foundaiton Director Rosa Vivian Fernandez] is a family friend and she asked if we would want to come out and help,” Natasha said. “The kids smile and they are all excited like when you go to Disneyland and see the princesses there.”
The San Benito Health Foundation is located at 351 Felice Drive, Hollister, CA 95023-3361. For more information on services, call 637-5306.
