SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — The number of Santa Cruz County residents on Medi-Cal who have gone to the dentist increased by 20 percent since 2014, Oral Health Access Santa Cruz County announced in its recently released 2018 Report Card.
Released on June 11, the Report Card showcases improvements made toward Oral Health Access’ goals to address the local dental disease epidemic.
“I’m proud of the work that we have done since we launched these efforts a year and a half ago,” said OHASCC Steering Committee co-chair and Dientes’ Chief Dental Officer Dr. Sepi Taghvaei. “We have just started and have already made a measurable impact in our county.”
According to the report, the rate of children aged 0-11 who have never been to the dentist has been cut in half to 15 percent. The Santa Cruz County Office of Education included 35,000 dental visit forms in new student enrollment packets, and Dientes Community Dental Care and Salud Para le Gente made room in their schedules for these students.
Since 2014, Dientes and Salud Para La Gente together have seen a 30 percent growth in overall dental visits and a 17 percent increase in patients of all ages.
“We have the right strategy, pulled the right team together, and found the right financial support to really make a long-lasting impact on the health and happiness of our entire community,” said OHASCC Steering Committee co-chair and County Supervisor Zach Friend. “This investment in access to oral health care for everyone will pay huge dividends for years to come.”
To read the 2018 Report Card, visit oralhealthscc.org/strategic-plan.
