First Tooth First Birthday Appointments • Available for Patients 0-36 Months
Dientes Community Dental Care is proud to announce the addition of bilingual pediatric specialty dentist, Dr. Denisse Monroy, to our Santa Cruz children’s clinic. With Dr. Monroy on board, Dientes is able to add appointments for our youngest patients aged 0-36 months as part of the First Tooth First Birthday campaign.
Dr. Monroy grew up in the Central Valley and experienced firsthand the difficulty of accessing oral healthcare. As a child, her family did not have dental insurance and traveled to Mexico to get care that they could afford. This experience influenced her to pursue a position where she could help kids access quality dental care locally. A National Health Service Corp. Scholar, Dr. Monroy’s training not only enables her to work with young children, but she can care for kids with behavioral issues and special needs.
Dr. Monroy commented on why serving children’s dental needs is a passion of hers, “I fell in love with pediatric dentistry when I realized that I would have the opportunity to teach children and their families the importance of oral hygiene at a young age and build relationships with them throughout the treatment process. The Dientes model allows me to provide quality care to each patient maximizing the impact we provide on the children and their families.”
With the hiring of Dr. Monroy, Dientes is excited to announce the availability of appointments for children aged 0-36 months. These First Tooth First Birthday appointments are in response to an important goal set out in the Oral Health Access Strategic Plan announced in December 2016. It is critical for children to see the dentist by the recommended first tooth or first birthday in order to prevent cavities from forming. For these young patients to keep a healthy smile, the appointments include an exam, cleaning and oral hygiene education for parents.
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Families with children aged 0-36 months on Medi-Cal or who have no dental insurance are encouraged to call 831-464-5409 to make an appointment. For more information on the Oral Health Access Strategic Plan, go to: http://oralhealthscc.org