Texas Smiles is a new dental center that focuses on children who come from low-income families. The center is offering free dental screenings for kids.
Dr. Yolanda Allen started practicing dentistry in 2005.
"I became a dentist to educate people on their oral health," Allen said. "I felt like this was a way to give back to the community."
On Wednesday, Oct. 6, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Texas Smiles will offer free dental screenings for kids. The center is located at 4847 West Commerce St.
Texas Smiles is one of the few providers that accepts Medicaid patients. It's estimated only one in four dentists accept Medicaid patients nationwide. As a result, low-income kids are underserved.
The U.S. Surgeon General has called the lack of dental care among kids a "silent epidemic."
Bexar County has about 200,000 children eligible for Medicaid. Allen said many dentists don't take Medicaid due to the low reimbursements.
To combat the problem, Allen is opening up her new dental center to all parents and children in Bexar County.
"Oral health is about more than just tooth decay," Allen said. "Poor dental health among young children can lead to a variety of other health and developmental challenges including chronic pain, poor nutrition and distraction from learning."
"I am proud to open our dental center to the community and start an ongoing process of educating families about the importance of dental health."
The event is also a grand opening celebration, and the entire community is invited to take a tour of the facility. Many schools and day cares are planning trips to Texas Smiles to take advantage of the free dental screenings.
You can reach Texas Smiles at (210) 432-0909.
