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Sonrisas Dental Health, one of our DRP member clinics, visited *Gabriela's elementary school in San Bruno, California to provide oral health screenings to students who have limited access to dental providers. The screening team observed the young girl’s severe pain and discovered abscesses on her lower molars and numerous other teeth that were significantly broken down, some with decay so extensive that the nerves were visible.
Once her parents were informed that their financial situation would not be a barrier to care, they were quick to bring Gabriela to Sonrisas to get the treatment she desperately needed. Although she was very quiet and shy, the dental team was struck by her beautiful smile and sweetness, despite the severity of her dental decay and obvious pain. Her parents were both kind, attentive, and grateful to the dental team for helping their sweet six year old.
Over the course of five visits, the dental team extracted infected teeth to decrease the risk of infection spreading to other parts of her mouth, repaired cavities, and stabilized her pain. Because she required so many extractions, the team at Sonrisas reached out to America's ToothFairy for an In the Gap Grant to cover the significant cost of the space maintainer she needed to be sure her permanent teeth grow in properly.
Not only does America's ToothFairy help support screening programs like Sonrisas' that helped Gabriela find the help she needed, and provide donated products to help clinics stretch their budgets to provide free or reduced-cost care for urgent needs, but our In the Gap Grants also help families pay for essential services that are not covered by insurance.
Now Gabriela is pain-free, can eat properly, and happily smiles without shame!
Gabriela received treatment because of contributions from caring people like you! To learn more about helping kids like her, check out our More Smiles Campaign or click here to contribute today.
*Patient's name has been changed to respect her privacy.
