Rampant tooth decay among low-income children in Santa Clara County is a public health problem that has reached crisis proportions. In 2002, The Health Trust reported the results of the first-ever oral health needs assessment of local children. We found that 51 percent of kids from poor families enter kindergarten with untreated cavities. By the time they reach third grade, 72 percent have a history of tooth decay. What's worse, there is only capacity to treat up to 20,000 of the 140,000 low income children.

Today some 35,000 elementary school children in our county sit in their classroom with pain or swelling in their mouths. Untreated dental disease is a devastating, "silent epidemic," leading to distracted behavior at home and school, poor classroom performance and loss of self-esteem, as well as difficulty chewing and speaking.

Locally, there are only enough dentists to treat 20,000 low-income children-a major disconnect between the number of children at-risk for serious dental health problems and the size of the provider community needed to solve this giant challenge. There are simply not enough dentists or dollars to get the job done; leaving 120,000 children without access to care. This demand-supply imbalance cries out for a new paradigm-an entirely different way of delivering dental services to those who need them most.

Solutions for the Future . . . Action for Now
The Health Trust has identified a truly innovative, long-term solution to this seemingly overwhelming problem. To meet immediate restorative and preventive needs, The Health Trust operates the Franklin McKinley Dental Clinic. In operation since 1998, this three operatory clinic is dedicated to serving the preventive and restorative dental needs of 35,000 children within the school district.

The long-term solution has been developed through a public-private partnership with a dental group specializing in treating low-income children and recognized for its high level of efficiency. This is an exciting new service delivery model that will enable dentists to see up to 50 children each day; four times more than the 12 to 15 children we are able to see today.