Over 30,000 under-resourced adults and children in Santa Cruz County rely on affordable dental care to live full, healthy, pain-free lives.
Across the State, 10 million adults, seniors, and people with disabilities depend on the Medicaid program (known as Medi-Cal in California) for their oral health needs—yet dental services are again at risk due to threatened Federal Medicaid cuts in order to provide tax cuts for the wealthy.
This shortsighted approach fails to recognize how dental health impacts overall wellness and economic stability. In fact, according to the American Dental Association (ADA), there was an estimated loss of 4,500 jobs and over a half billion dollars in economic activity when in 2009 the State of California temporarily eliminated dental benefits for adults (ADA Research Brief, 2025). And make no mistake, the threatened federal cuts could be far worse.
Poor oral health directly contributes to serious medical conditions including heart disease, diabetes complications, and respiratory infections.
When adults can’t access preventive dental care, minor issues escalate into emergencies, sending over two million Americans to emergency rooms annually for dental problems that could have been prevented with basic maintenance. In fact, rather than saving money, cutting the Medi-Cal dental benefit would cost California an estimated $2 billion in additional healthcare costs over 5 years. This includes an additional $62 million per year in Emergency Department visits, and $330 million per year due to related medical conditions (ADA).
For decades, community dental clinics like the ones Dientes Community Dental Care operates, have helped people and businesses across California get by—whether it’s providing affordable care to a single parent, bringing services to a senior center, keeping rural dental services accessible, or giving small business employees the dental care they need to stay productive.
For working Californians, dental pain means missed workdays, reduced productivity, and diminished job prospects. How can someone confidently interview for a position when they’re too embarrassed to smile because of missing teeth or untreated dental issues? This creates a vicious cycle that keeps families trapped in economic insecurity. Adults with healthy mouths require fewer sick days and are more productive contributors to our economy. Ensuring Californians can smile with confidence, eat nutritious foods, and live without preventable pain isn’t just the compassionate choice — it’s the fiscally responsible one too.
Steven was 57 years old in 2009 when he experienced tragic and lasting consequences from the previous Medi-Cal dental benefit cuts. He had seven failing fillings that needed crowns, which he could not afford without insurance. Five years later, when Medi-Cal dental benefits were finally reinstated, he made it to the dentist to address the issue; however, by that time his teeth had to be extracted and replaced with partial dentures. Expressing frustration about the situation Steven commented, “I grew up going to the dentist and have taken care of my teeth. But when I needed to fix my fillings—which happens as people age—I couldn’t afford it. This whole situation has been deeply hurtful and has had lifelong consequences. I’ve lost my teeth, and I will never get them back. I’m scared of a future without dental coverage again. It would have been far cheaper to replace my fillings than to have to pay for dentures.”
Organizations like Dientes are doing remarkable work providing affordable dental services to Californians just like Steven, but they can’t solve this problem alone. We need solutions that recognize dental care as essential healthcare for adults of all ages. We urge you to contact your representatives and demand they support no cuts to dental benefits in the Medi-Cal program, and no cuts to Medicaid to fund tax cuts for the rich. And, we ask California’s House and Senate members to budget wisely and focus on protecting dental benefits as part of the Medi-Cal program.
Laura Marcus, MPH CEO, Dientes Community Dental Care
George Lips, Executive Director, Monterey Bay Dental Society
David Brody, MM and Sheree Storm, MBA Co-Chairs, Oral Health Access Santa Cruz County
