Sonrisas Dental Health
Sonrisas strives to improve the oral health of our community through culturally sensitive, integrated care. With a focus on prevention, we treat all our patients with respect, care and compassion.
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| Address: |
210 San Mateo Road Suite 104 Half Moon Bay, CA 94019 |
| Email: | admin@sonrisasdentalhealth.org |
| Phone Number: | 650-726-2144 |
The mission of Sonrisas Dental Health, Inc. is to improve the oral health of all people, including those with special access needs who face barriers to care. Sonrisas Dental Health's (SDH) roots go back to 2001 when it formed as a 501c3 community clinic in Half Moon Bay to provide accessibility and affordability to dental care for low-income residents on the Coastside. Our roots run deep. In 2015, SDH programs and services expanded by providing a second site in San Mateo, bringing in new equipment and technology, and establishing a mobile program that brings services to those in outlying areas, as well as, those with mobility and access limitations. These evolutionary changes have established two Centers in Half Moon Bay and San Mateo and have positioned Sonrisas to better serve the residents of the Coast and all San Mateo County. ALL SUPPORT RAISED THROUGH COASTSIDE GIVES WILL REMAIN LOCALLY ON THE COAST.
At Sonrisas Dental Health, our vision is:
• To overcome barriers and make it possible for children, adults, and elders, to obtain critically needed oral health services provided at our dental centers and through our mobile dental program delivered on-site at partnering community organizations on the coast and throughout San Mateo County.
• To create a sustainable model of funding, which combines revenue from philanthropy, public partners and privately insured patients to allow SDH to carry out its mission.
• To serve as a model, educator, and catalyst to other community agencies to increase the awareness of the critical importance of oral health to a person's overall health - and that starts from infancy.
Sonrisas Dental Health is currently providing:
1. Education and Outreach Programs which provide dental screenings and oral health education at Coastside elementary schools and other at events.
2. Mobile Dentistry to seniors, farmworkers, and others who are mobility impaired in the region.
3. Dental services include preventive and restorative dental procedures to maintain and improve oral health function for uninsured, underinsured and insured patients.
The target population for SDH is people experiencing barriers to basic dental care and disease prevention services in San Mateo County with a focus on the Coastside and the mid-Peninsula areas. Many have physical limitations; most have financial limitations. We are proud of SDH's sixteen-year history of serving the underserved especially on the Coastside for those who live in the more rural and agricultural areas of the County; specifically, farmworkers and their families. In fiscal year 2017, monthly visit volumes at both Centers averaged 980/month for a total of nearly 12,000 visits for the year - 60% being low income, and uninsured. Of that total, 7,114 of the visits were provided to Denti-Cal patients and 4,800 visits were provided to insured and cash paying patients
In San Mateo County, 57,000 residents live below the federal poverty level; over 121,000 residents are now enrolled in Medi-Cal and 48% of these are under 21 years of age. Nearly 40% of 3-year-olds have untreated dental decay; this is nearly twice the Healthy People 2020 objective for the nation. Patients reported difficulties accessing dental care and the number of dentists available to serve Medi-Cal enrollees is simply insufficient. Additionally, caregivers of older adults reported that transportation and staffing problems inhibited the ability of institutionalized adults to access dental care. Our SDH Programs target these residents.
Every Triennial San Mateo Countywide Community Health Needs Assessment since 2007 has identified access to dental health care as a priority health need and that need has gotten progressively worse in each successive report up to the most recent in 2016. It is a common and significant challenge for patients who have Denti-Cal to find a dentist in their community who is a provider of the Denti-Cal program; the County Dental clinics report a 12-month wait to get dental appointments for comprehensive care, and the local FQHC's with dental services have waiting lists. Even with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act which provides dental coverage for many who had been denied access previously, barriers persist for enrollees in finding a dentist or clinic that can take them which "increases the pressure on the dental system serving the neediest leading to further disparities in access" as identified in the 2016 San Mateo County Strategic Oral Health Plan.
The goal of our organization is to be accessible to all payers, and to do so we must seek philanthropic support to ensure the ability to serve the underserved - a high proportion of which are agricultural workers and their families. We recognize that even arranging time off from work or traveling to a Center can be a barrier to access for these residents, thus SDH has addressed that through its Mobile Program. Mobile is more expensive per visit; however, we have committed to the program to carry out our mission which we believe aligns with the Farmworker Health Program's mission. In collaboration with the Farmworkers Health Program, SDH sends mobile units to Pescadero to provide farmworkers and their families with onsite oral health care and services.
SDH's Coastside service area covers half of San Mateo County (about 250 square miles) from Montara to the Santa Cruz County line, serving about five percent of the county population (32,000 residents). It is home to nearly 6,000 low-income agricultural and service workers and their families, with 49% living at below 200 percent of the federal poverty index. Almost 5,000 patients who have received services at SDH's Coastside Center since the clinic opened in 2001 qualify as low-income. Some families, especially those on the South Coast, are isolated geographically, culturally and linguistically. Up until January 2012, SDH has been the only clinic offering dental services to this population over the last decade. Aditionally, SDH has been able to provide farmworkers in the region with high quality oral health care, which they otherwise would not have access to without the mobile dentistry units. After several years of expanded operation, SDH is better equipped to continue to meet the dentistry needs of this population and has a better understanding of the number of visits, and funding necessary to meet the growing need for our services.
At Sonrisas Dental Health, our vision is:
• To overcome barriers and make it possible for children, adults, and elders, to obtain critically needed oral health services provided at our dental centers and through our mobile dental program delivered on-site at partnering community organizations on the coast and throughout San Mateo County.
• To create a sustainable model of funding, which combines revenue from philanthropy, public partners and privately insured patients to allow SDH to carry out its mission.
• To serve as a model, educator, and catalyst to other community agencies to increase the awareness of the critical importance of oral health to a person's overall health - and that starts from infancy.
Sonrisas Dental Health is currently providing:
1. Education and Outreach Programs which provide dental screenings and oral health education at Coastside elementary schools and other at events.
2. Mobile Dentistry to seniors, farmworkers, and others who are mobility impaired in the region.
3. Dental services include preventive and restorative dental procedures to maintain and improve oral health function for uninsured, underinsured and insured patients.
The target population for SDH is people experiencing barriers to basic dental care and disease prevention services in San Mateo County with a focus on the Coastside and the mid-Peninsula areas. Many have physical limitations; most have financial limitations. We are proud of SDH's sixteen-year history of serving the underserved especially on the Coastside for those who live in the more rural and agricultural areas of the County; specifically, farmworkers and their families. In fiscal year 2017, monthly visit volumes at both Centers averaged 980/month for a total of nearly 12,000 visits for the year - 60% being low income, and uninsured. Of that total, 7,114 of the visits were provided to Denti-Cal patients and 4,800 visits were provided to insured and cash paying patients
In San Mateo County, 57,000 residents live below the federal poverty level; over 121,000 residents are now enrolled in Medi-Cal and 48% of these are under 21 years of age. Nearly 40% of 3-year-olds have untreated dental decay; this is nearly twice the Healthy People 2020 objective for the nation. Patients reported difficulties accessing dental care and the number of dentists available to serve Medi-Cal enrollees is simply insufficient. Additionally, caregivers of older adults reported that transportation and staffing problems inhibited the ability of institutionalized adults to access dental care. Our SDH Programs target these residents.
Every Triennial San Mateo Countywide Community Health Needs Assessment since 2007 has identified access to dental health care as a priority health need and that need has gotten progressively worse in each successive report up to the most recent in 2016. It is a common and significant challenge for patients who have Denti-Cal to find a dentist in their community who is a provider of the Denti-Cal program; the County Dental clinics report a 12-month wait to get dental appointments for comprehensive care, and the local FQHC's with dental services have waiting lists. Even with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act which provides dental coverage for many who had been denied access previously, barriers persist for enrollees in finding a dentist or clinic that can take them which "increases the pressure on the dental system serving the neediest leading to further disparities in access" as identified in the 2016 San Mateo County Strategic Oral Health Plan.
The goal of our organization is to be accessible to all payers, and to do so we must seek philanthropic support to ensure the ability to serve the underserved - a high proportion of which are agricultural workers and their families. We recognize that even arranging time off from work or traveling to a Center can be a barrier to access for these residents, thus SDH has addressed that through its Mobile Program. Mobile is more expensive per visit; however, we have committed to the program to carry out our mission which we believe aligns with the Farmworker Health Program's mission. In collaboration with the Farmworkers Health Program, SDH sends mobile units to Pescadero to provide farmworkers and their families with onsite oral health care and services.
SDH's Coastside service area covers half of San Mateo County (about 250 square miles) from Montara to the Santa Cruz County line, serving about five percent of the county population (32,000 residents). It is home to nearly 6,000 low-income agricultural and service workers and their families, with 49% living at below 200 percent of the federal poverty index. Almost 5,000 patients who have received services at SDH's Coastside Center since the clinic opened in 2001 qualify as low-income. Some families, especially those on the South Coast, are isolated geographically, culturally and linguistically. Up until January 2012, SDH has been the only clinic offering dental services to this population over the last decade. Aditionally, SDH has been able to provide farmworkers in the region with high quality oral health care, which they otherwise would not have access to without the mobile dentistry units. After several years of expanded operation, SDH is better equipped to continue to meet the dentistry needs of this population and has a better understanding of the number of visits, and funding necessary to meet the growing need for our services.
Highly Recommended for Medically Fragile Children
Both dentist and assistant were #1, they treated my son with care and did an awesome job on cleaning all tarter off his teeth. They were extremely careful with him because he is on a ventilator and very medically fragile. I highly recommend this clinic for medically fragile children - Cindy C.
Professional and Attentive Staff
Everyone I met was very professional and helpful. All my questions were answered. The dentist checked to make sure I was comfortable during the deep cleaning. This is important to me since I grew up with a fear of dentists. I highly recommend Sonrisas. - Susan L.
Modern Equipment
I've been here four times now - three times for check ups/cleaning and once for fillings. Every time I have been impressed with the friendliness and professionalism of the staff. The facility is very clean and they have modern equipment. - Janet H.
Both dentist and assistant were #1, they treated my son with care and did an awesome job on cleaning all tarter off his teeth. They were extremely careful with him because he is on a ventilator and very medically fragile. I highly recommend this clinic for medically fragile children - Cindy C.
Professional and Attentive Staff
Everyone I met was very professional and helpful. All my questions were answered. The dentist checked to make sure I was comfortable during the deep cleaning. This is important to me since I grew up with a fear of dentists. I highly recommend Sonrisas. - Susan L.
Modern Equipment
I've been here four times now - three times for check ups/cleaning and once for fillings. Every time I have been impressed with the friendliness and professionalism of the staff. The facility is very clean and they have modern equipment. - Janet H.
