Maria came to us with a molar that had been throbbing for months. She’d been managing the pain with ibuprofen—not because she was ignoring it, but because she couldn’t find a dentist who accepted Medi-Cal. As a farmworker in South County, she couldn’t afford to lose a day’s wages to sit in an emergency room, let alone pay for the care that would follow. By the time she found Dientes, the infection had spread. What could have been treated with a routine dental visit had become a serious health risk.
Maria is one of nearly 18,000 patients Dientes serves each year. Ninety-seven percent of our patients live at or below the federal poverty level. Nearly half are Latino, and many work in the very industries that keep California’s economy running. For them, access to dental care isn’t about convenience. It’s about staying healthy enough to work, care for their families, and live with dignity.
That is why the state budget signed this month brought welcome news.
California’s leaders made the difficult decision to delay the proposed reductions to Medi-Cal dental benefits for one year. In a budget year defined by extraordinary financial pressures, they recognized that preserving access to health care—even temporarily—was a priority worth protecting.
We are deeply grateful.
Here on the Central Coast, we are fortunate to be represented by legislators who understand both the importance of a strong safety net and the realities facing community health providers. Speaker Robert Rivas has consistently emphasized protecting working families. Assemblymember Dawn Addis brought thoughtful leadership to difficult budget conversations as Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health. Senator John Laird, as Chair of the Senate Budget Committee, helped navigate extraordinarily challenging fiscal decisions while preserving essential health care services.
These were not easy choices. We thank them for making them.
But this is not the end of the story.
The proposed dental benefit reductions were postponed—not eliminated. The financial pressures facing California remain real, and federal actions continue to create uncertainty for the future of Medicaid and Medi-Cal funding. Unless we continue making the case for oral health, these same conversations will return next year.
We’ve seen what happens when dental benefits disappear. Patients delay care until pain becomes unbearable. Small infections become medical emergencies. Emergency departments become dental providers of last resort. Clinics struggle to absorb the demand while provider participation declines. Rebuilding that capacity takes years.
We cannot afford to repeat that cycle.
At Dientes, we also know that government funding alone has never been enough to meet the needs of our community. Every day, we rely on the generosity of donors, foundations, corporate partners, volunteers, and community organizations who step forward to help fill the gaps that public funding cannot. Their support allows us to provide care to uninsured patients, invest in modern equipment, expand services, and ensure that financial barriers never become barriers to health.
That partnership between public investment and private generosity is what makes our safety net resilient.
As we look toward next year’s budget, we hope policymakers continue building on this year’s progress. California has made remarkable strides in expanding access to dental care over the past decade. Protecting those gains requires sustained commitment—not only from elected leaders, but from health care providers, advocates, community organizations, and philanthropic partners who believe that oral health is an essential part of overall health.
Maria received the treatment she needed. Six months later, she returned for a routine cleaning—the first preventive dental visit she’d had in years.
That follow-up appointment may not seem remarkable. In truth, it is exactly what success looks like. A person receives care before a crisis develops. A family avoids unnecessary suffering. A worker stays healthy enough to earn a living.
That is the promise of Medi-Cal dental benefits. It is a promise worth protecting.
This year’s budget gave us time. We are grateful for the leadership that made that possible, and equally grateful for the community that stands beside us every day to ensure that, whatever challenges lie ahead, our neighbors continue to receive the care they deserve.
