Pescadero Dental Clinic

Sonrisas Dental Health is a non-profit dental center providing affordable, high-quality dental care and oral health education to low-income, vulnerable individuals in San Mateo County. Founded in 2001 on the San Mateo County coast to provide care to farmworkers and low-income residents, Sonrisas offers culturally competent, comprehensive dental care at our clinics in Half Moon Bay and San Mateo.

In partnership with Puente de la Costa Sur, Sonrisas has a one day a week clinic in Pescadero/La Honda for farmworkers, providing dental care close to patient’s homes and work. This clinic has been in operation since 2008, using mobile dental equipment that is obsolete and no longer supported, putting the community-based clinic at risk of closure. Distance to available care options (30-75 minutes), scarce paid time off and transportation issues translate to 800 low-income individuals in this region without care.

Sonrisas, in partnership with Puente, is proposing a new dental clinic in the form of an all-inclusive, two-chair Dental RV for the South Coast rural communities of Pescadero, Loma Mar, La Honda, and San Gregorio. By purchasing and operating a two-chair dental RV to advance oral health equity on the South Coast this new clinic will expand access to dental care in this rural community by five-fold. This innovative solution will ensure continued dental care for farmworkers and expand care to their families. Puente will host the mobile clinic on their new property located on North Street in Pescadero.

This solution, which addresses the known challenges the community faces as well as the desire of people to receive care in their own community, will dramatically increase service days, hours and times dental care is available, eliminating access barriers. Sonrisas has long partnered with Puente to provide on-site dental services to South Coast farmworkers.

Our partnership fuses Puente’s deep community roots and Promotora/Community Health Worker services with Sonrisas’ expertise providing dental care to vulnerable populations. Sonrisas and Puente will co-brand the new clinic, deepening our partnership. Our organizations are committed to the on-going success of this clinic.