Tom and Kate with Mark Riley, director of the Dientes Clinic.

In Spanish, dientes means "teeth." For the thousands of patients who receive quality oral care at the so-named Santa Cruz clinic each year, dientes means no less than "miracle." Dientes’ mission is to increase access to dental education, prevention, and treatment to improve oral health in the Santa Cruz County and surrounding areas.

Santa Cruz County, a beautiful coastal community, is home to thousands who have to forego dental care to attend to basic needs like food and shelter—children, senior citizens, the homeless, and farm workers and their families. Many no longer have to make that choice, as Dientes Clinic provides free or reduced cost treatment for a wide range of services, including exams, cleanings, fillings, dentures, and extensive restorative and urgent care.

Kate with some young patients and their mother.

Operating like a private dental office, Dientes employs a full-time professional staff and schedules appointments and treatment for patients who cannot afford private dental care or who do not have dental insurance. Dientes’ dentists have both the depth of experience and the temperament to address the wide diversity of patients they see.

For all new pediatric patients and their parents, Dientes’ dentists use puppets to provide cheerful chairside education. In coordination with school nurses and county health workers, Dientes’ staff and volunteers provide on-site screenings, education, and treatment of children at local schools throughout the county. Dientes believes the key to maintaining oral health is by preventing dental problems from starting in the first place.

Anne Dijamco, Tom's of Maine Grassroots Field Sales rep, helps with the toothpaste-making.

Tom’s of Maine recently awarded Dientes a $35,000 grant, used to help fund an expansion that more than doubles the size of the clinic. Three new dental chairs will enable up to 3,000 additional patient visits per year, reducing the two- to three-month waiting list for new patients.

Mark Riley, Dientes’ Executive Director, says, "Tom’s of Maine’s Dental Health for All™ program recognizes a huge problem in our country, which is that tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease, and in our area is one of the top five reasons for absenteeism in schools. Our relationship with Tom’s is a valuable partnership that will help improve the dental health of children in our community."

Tom and Kate taught the children how to make toothpaste.

Give Kids a Smile Day

Tom’s of Maine cofounders Tom and Kate Chappell traveled over 3,000 miles to Dientes for a "dental check-up." Their visit to the clinic coincided with Dientes’ Give Kids a Smile Day, a day of free oral care services to address the epidemic of untreated oral disease among disadvantaged children.

Dozens of dental professional volunteers treated more than 100 children, providing cleanings, sealants, fillings, extractions, root canals, and crowns. Tom’s of Maine entertained the children with toothpaste-making demonstrations while they waited, and Tom and Kate Chappell chatted with the young patients and their families. Everyone went home with books, toothbrushes, floss, and toothpaste to help keep them smiling!