EIN : 94-3390196
Araceli,* a 29-year-old single mother of 3 from Guatemala, sought better healthcare after immigrating to the U.S. in late 2023. Araceli says, “My children no longer have toothaches like they did in Central America. The dental treatments we receive at Sonrisas has made me so grateful for our family in America.” In her rural hometown,
This is the story of 6-year-old Natalia.* Natalia received care at Sonrisas after a Sonrisas school screening which identified urgent dental needs. Natalia had several teeth that were decayed to the gumline. Natalia and her parents came to the US from Guatemala six years prior, they could not see dentists in Guatemala because it was
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When 8-year-old Paula* came to Sonrisas, she had teeth decayed to the gumline. She’d had only been to the dentist once before. Paula’s mother first reached out to Sonrisas Dental Health in April 2023. It had been four years since her daughter had seen a dentist. Paula’s mom recounts, "The first time I took her
10-year-old Roberto* and his family lost their private insurance and were having a difficult time finding a dentist who accepted Medi-Cal. Roberto’s mom discussed her dilemma with our Care Coordinator following a school screening. Roberto suffered from crowding in his lower front teeth and needed a cleaning. Roberto’s mom reached out to Sonrisas on May
Sonrisas spoke with Emma’s* mom following a screening at the five-year-old’s school. Emma reported pain along her lower arch molars which were decayed to the gumline. Emma’s family was reluctant, at first, to reach out for dental care. Sonrisas’ Care Coordination Team persisted in an effort to connect the family with dental services Emma needed.
When we first saw 6-year-old Gustavo* at a school screening, he’d never been to a dentist. Our screening identified urgent needs, and when Gustavo was seen in the clinic, we found that he needed a baby root canal, teeth extractions that required two space maintainers, and to have several cavities filled. While Gustavo’s family had
Malik’s* mom reached out to Sonrisas because her 4-year-old son was in severe pain due to his eleven cavities, he had been crying for three days straight! Malik was unable to go to school, the pain was so intense. Malik’s mom told our Care Coordination Team, “Please, I beg you, we need to see the
4-year-old Liliana* was looking for a dental home near her house because her front teeth were breaking and falling out. Liliana’s mother told our Care Coordination Team that the family was looking for a local dentist because she does not drive, which is why she was looking for a clinic near their home in San
Sonrisas Finds and Helps a Child in Pain In 2019, Gabriela* and her family moved to San Mateo County in California from Honduras. Soon after her arrival, Sonrisas visited her elementary school to provide oral health screenings to students who have limited access to dental providers. The School Screening team quickly discovered the six-year-old’s severe