South Lake Tahoe residents in need of dental care can finally sigh in relief as a new clinic is set to open its doors on October 20, a strategic effort among local health bodies aiming to sink the teeth into oral care disparities in the area. The El Dorado Community Health Centers (EDCHC), along with Mountain Valley Health Plan and the El Dorado County (EDC) Public Health Division, are setting up the clinic at 3443 Lake Tahoe Blvd to serve the Medi-Cal population and others facing challenges in receiving proper dental care, El Dorado County announced earlier this week.
For some background, since the loss of the region’s sole Medi-Cal dental provider last year, South Lake Tahoe Basin’s already struggling families found themselves in a tougher spot, as kids had to skip school and adults had to miss work to travel for dental services, complicating their daily lives and adding stress on top of financial woes the clinic aims to alleviate these issues by providing a much-needed service that’s been in short supply.
One of the particularly striking cases involved a mother with three sons who, upon visiting the EDCHC’s El Dorado Smiles Dental Van, discovered that each child needed extensive dental work—a situation symptomatic of the broader access issues in the community, the van being just a stopgap that underscores the ongoing need for permanent, accessible care. In response, new dental clinic hopes are high that this permanent care facility will ease the burden for families by providing localized, quality dental care that’s just a stone’s throw away, as mentioned on the county’s website.
A hefty one-time funding influx from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, alongside a grant from Mountain Valley Health Plan, has enabled the kick-off of the clinic, which plans to start with the capacity to treat around two hundred patients a month but with sights set on doubling that number once in full swing, the facility will offer exams, cleanings, and a range of other dental services to children and adults alike. With efforts to hire bilingual staff and make use of language assistance technology, the clinic is ensuring maximum inclusivity for the Lake Tahoe community.
“Access and utilization of oral health care services during pregnancy, childhood, and throughout the lifespan is important because the consequences of poor oral health can have a lifelong impact on overall health and well-being,” Kyle Fliflet, El Dorado County Acting Director of Public Health, stated. This sentiment is echoed by Lizeth Granados, CEO of Mountain Valley Health Plan, who emphasizes the critical need for comprehensive healthcare among Medi-Cal members. The collaboration between these organizations isn’t just a simple business venture—it’s a commitment to community well-being, to eradicating the gaps in healthcare that hold residents back, as noted by the same press release.
To learn more or schedule an appointment, prospective patients are encouraged to call 530-497-5016.
