Mission & History
For those who struggle in poverty, dental care is a luxury compared to basic needs like food and shelter. As a result, many people are suffering with dental disease because they’ve had to postpone dental care or forego it entirely. Dientes works to increase access to dental education, prevention and treatment in order to improve the oral health of our community.
Dientes schedules more than 15,000 appointments annually. Our clinic serves those patients who can't afford the cost of private care:
- Children
- Seniors
- Homeless
- Farm workers and their families
- Patients with HIV/AIDS
- Patients with physical or mental disabilities
- Patients who have Medi-Cal or Healthy Families insurance
- Patients who lack insurance and have a low income
We accept Medi-Cal, Healthy Kids, and Healthy Families insurance without restriction and work to keep our fees low (about half the cost of private dental fees) for those patients who lack insurance. We also subsidize care for some of our most impoverished patients.
Located in mid-Santa Cruz County, Dientes operates like any private office, scheduling appointments and providing treatment that ranges from exams, cleanings and fillings to dentures and extensive restorative and urgent care. Contrary to what most people believe, we employ only paid professional dental staff, including full and part time dentists, part time hygienists, and a part time endodontist.
Important prevention education outreach teaches patients how to maintain oral health, in order to prevent dental problems from starting. Outreach efforts also provide dental screenings in order to identify patients who need care and then refer them to our clinic for treatment. Dientes staff bring information to patients at health fairs, community centers and schools throughout the County.
Financial Information
Dientes is committed to keeping operations and financial information transparent and accessible to our supporters. Follow the links below to view partial tax returns for 2007 and 2006. For full versions of these returns, visit www.guidestar.org
