County brings new dental services to North County
SAN JOSE – Santa Clara County’s new dental clinic in Mountain View is now open, providing access to dental health care services to North County residents who would otherwise go without.
The new office houses a dental clinic serving patients who were previously seen at the Sunnyvale clinic, as well as additional low-income patients. These patients may include residents that have Medi-Cal, Valley Health Plan, and some commercial insurers. The clinic is open to those without insurance at a sliding scale for those earning up to 200% of the Family Poverty Level, which is about $50,000 for a family of four.
“Dental health care is essential. It’s not a ‘nice to have,’ it’s a ‘have to have’ component of health care,” said Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian about the expansion of dental care services. Simitian represents District Five (the northwest portion of the County) and serves as Chair of the Board’s Health and Hospital Committee. “The County has stepped up to provide these services closer to home for North County residents,” he said. “And that’s very good news for families of modest means.”
The new site is at 2486 El Camino Real in Mountain View. The space is equipped with nine dental suites, is completely furnished with new equipment, including an x-ray unit, and is ADA compliant. The facility is easily accessible by transit as it sits on a major thoroughfare.
“We are excited to expand our dental services and significantly improve access to the full range of oral health services to residents in North County,” commented Paul Lorenz, CEO, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center hospital and clinics. “A person’s oral health is important, and can affect their overall general health. Being able to expand these services to more residents of our community is an investment in their health.”
The County can now more effectively implement the Department of Health Care Services’ Dental Initiative. The Dental Initiative’s goal is to increase the number of children receiving preventative services by 10% over five years, reduce the risk of tooth decay, and improve dental care for children and families.
One of the goals of the new site is to reduce the wait time to get a dental appointment for adults and seniors, and relocate the dental service from VHC Sunnyvale to the new El Camino Real site. This move has allowed SCVMC to quickly double its capacity to provide dental services to seniors.
An additional primary care dental office for oral health screenings for women and children will open in Mountain View in early 2021. Mobile dental services will continue throughout Sunnyvale and Mountain View.