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Dental clinic provides essential care for needy kids
Coral Gables Woman's Club brings healthy smiles to thousands of kids.
Article by Rebecca Rodriguez, Dec.13, 2009

Photo by Matt Bokor

David Olinger needed a root canal. His mother Robin Miller had two other children, was uninsured and had nowhere to go. When Ms. Miller went to Camillus House in Miami seeking assistance, she was referred to the May Van Sickle Children’s Dental Clinic in Coral Gables, where David and other underprivileged school-age children (5-18 years) can receive free dental care.

Founded in 1939 by the Coral Gables Woman’s Club, the clinic is housed on the club’s property at 1001-1009 E. Ponce de Leon Blvd. Painted floor to ceiling with vivid images of waves, turtles and coral, the clinic provides kids with a welcoming atmosphere for the youngsters, many of whom had never been to a dentist before. More than 800 children visit the clinic annually, receiving over $125,000 worth of free dental services.

Over the last several years since David’s root canal, the clinic has helped Ms. Miller’s other children, Marie and Richard. Marie is now 19 and out of school, no longer qualifying for the free care.

“I looked into different dental plans for her, but it’s just too much,” said Ms. Miller. “Even just a cleaning is so expensive.”

Richard, 14, whose cracked tooth was repaired at the clinic, still has several years of care available to him.

“I think it’s a great, fantastic place,” Ms. Miller said. “The dentist costs so much money, there’s no way I could afford it. This is a real blessing. I just have nothing but good things to say about it.”

In a similar situation, Ana Caicedo found help at the clinic for her 8-year-old daughter, Carla Marcelo, whose teeth were getting crowded. She had no money to pay for the proper care. Uninsured, she was also referred to the clinic.

“This is a wonderful place,” Ms. Caicedo said at her daughter’s first visit. “They’re doing a cleaning and some X-rays. Thank goodness we can bring her here.”

Ms. Miller and Ms. Caicedo are not alone in their plight. Many parents across Miami-Dade County find themselves uninsured and without the money to take their children to the dentist.
It is not just the families, however, who find themselves in need. Running the clinic is costly and because it is funded solely by grant and donations, keeping an influx of financial support is imperative. The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation has provided grants totaling nearly $300,000 since 1993, and the Health Foundation of South Florida also supports the clinic.

But according to Dr. Iris Torres-Rivera, who has been at the clinic since 1989, it’s not enough. The Coral Gables Woman’s Club sponsors an annual Casino Night to bring in additional funding, and donations are always welcome.

“If anyone in the private sector wants to donate to the clinic it would be a big help in keeping it open as much as we’d like to,” Dr. Torres added.

Open three days a week year-round, clinic services are like those of any private practice. The initial visit includes cleaning, X-rays, and an evaluation for long-term treatment. The young patients come to the clinic weekly until all necessary work is completed. Most of the children require extensive fillings, root canals and crowns, Dr. Torres explained.

The kids also walk out of the clinic with a take-home kit and an education on proper brushing, flossing and oral hygiene.

“We try to show them the importance of taking care of their teeth,” added Dr. Torres. “We encourage them to come every six months so that it becomes a life-long habit. Because they need to be in school to qualify, we feel it’s an additional incentive.”

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