Mobile Dental Clinic Provides Free Services to Children and Teenagers

Parents from throughout the Los Angeles area had the opportunity on Saturday to bring their children to a mobile dental clinic fronting supermarket on Tweedy Boulevard for a free check-up and cleaning.

Local radio station Hot 92.3 FM and Rick Dee, one of its morning radio hosts, joined with Western Dental, a California-based general dentistry service company with over 200 locations, to create the “No CaviDEES” Mobile Dental Unit. The mobile unit provides free dental services for young patients, ages 1 to 19, around Los Angeles.

The project focuses on children and teenagers to teach them the importance of good oral hygiene.

“This will help them reinforce their dental habits,” said Nemika Trotter, promotions director for Hot 92.3 FM. “This way they won’t have more expensive and painful problems down the road.”

The mobile clinic is equipped with high-end dentistry gear and staffed with two dentists and four hygienists.  

Good oral hygiene is not just for cosmetics, but essential for one's overall health, said Dr. Naeil Elhussiny, a Western Dental dentist. He cited studies that warn about mouth bacteria that can affect heart health.

“We know that there is link between heart conditions and oral health,” said Elhussiny. “Having healthy teeth is not just about having beautiful teeth.”

The free dental services for children and teenagers brought parents from beyond South Gate to the event. Some of the young patients who came received dental care for the first time.

“My five-year-old daughter has never been to the dentist,” said Marie Rodriguez, 29, who drove from Alhambra. “My 14-year-old son has also not been to the dentist in five years.”

Rodriguez is currently uninsured and said she appreciated the free services provided by Western Dental and HOT 92.3 FM. 

“This is great for the community,” said Rodriguez. “It was free and local.”

For more information on the "No CaviDEES" Mobile Dental Unit, and where it will be in the future, families can visit the HOT 92.3 FM Web site.