People experiencing homelessness often lack access to safe and affordable dental care. In fact, one study found that less than 20% of people experiencing homelessness have had a dental visit within the past 12 months.
Father Joe’s Villages, which is San Diego’s largest services provider for unsheltered people, answers that need by providing services like teeth cleanings, fillings, crowns, root canals, extractions, and dentures to clients of all ages at the clinic.
Father Joe’s will now be able to provide more care at its onsite dental clinic thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Delta Dental Community Foundation, the organization announced Friday.
The new funding will allow the organization to expand services to clients, including providing translation services and responding to the needs of aging clients, including denture care.
“Every smile tells a story: and the story we hope each of our clients can soon tell is one of resilience and hope,” said Dr. Megan Partch, chief health officer at Father Joe’s Villages.
“We appreciate the Delta Dental Community Foundation’s commitment to increasing access for our most vulnerable neighbors, one smile at a time.”
There are other repercussions beyond the negative health consequences of poor dental care, as well — a study by the American Association of Public Health Dentistry found that people with visibly poor dental health were less likely to be hired than those who had access to routine dental care.
Father Joe’s Villages’ dental clinic, based in the organization’s on-campus Villages Health Center, provides services to thousands of clients each year.
The Community Care Foundation has contributed more than $150 million to local community partners like Father Joe’s since 2011.
City News Service contributed to this report.
