As funding gaps threaten access to care, San Diego Foundation-supported nonprofits are helping San Diegans receive critical dental services that restore health, confidence and quality of life.
Living with a limited income and modest health insurance, Army veteran and San Diego-based truck driver Joseph Dudas found himself among the hundreds of thousands of local residents who skip routine dental visits. To cope with the throbbing pain from infected teeth, he resorted to pulling them out himself, leaving pieces of enamel sticking out from his gums.
“It didn’t go well,” he said. “I just resigned myself to being one of those guys who didn’t smile a lot. I was too embarrassed to go out.”…