When Edward brought his family to their local food pantry in Summit, New Jersey, to pick up fresh produce, his children had more than hungry bellies. Sadly, his four-year-old daughter and two-year-old son had learned to live with dental pain. Everything changed for them that day when Edward learned that the KinderSmile Oral Health Program would be visiting the food pantry to connect families with essential dental services.
Upon examination, the KinderSmile team discovered 12 cavities and the need for multiple root canals, deep fillings, and extractions for Edward’s daughter, and eight cavities in her little brother’s mouth. It was a predicament KinderSmile is all too familiar with; delayed treatment turning minor tooth decay into an urgent dental crisis.
For families like Edward’s, dental care is a luxury that is often out of reach for many reasons.
In communities with high poverty rates or a shortage of affordable dental care providers, safety-net clinics like KinderSmile can struggle to keep up with demand. Children who live in these communities often wait a year or longer to get an appointment, leading to more costly treatment.