Oral Health Project Aims to Bring Back Smiles

A pilot project to address oral health problems for homeless residents at has connected 20 people with dental care, but found more than 300 individuals needing treatment.

The Oral Health Project began last fall when Resource Counselor Lani Borgwardt asked Phil, one of our residents, about his goals. He answered, "I want to have teeth before I die."

Around the same time, volunteer Dianne Maxon began working in the kitchen at . She noticed some residents held a hand over their mouths, not wanting to smile. Others told her, “I can’t eat that because I don’t have teeth.”

“As a teacher, I knew that anything to encourage positive self-esteem is important and I started thinking about these residents who had such problems with their teeth,” Maxon said.

The two women teamed up to start the Oral Health Project, researching funding sources and pro bono care providers and well as surveying Homeward Bound residents.

They heard from one who said, "You can't be head cashier with these teeth," and another who commented, "I'd have more confidence in job interviews if I had teeth." Their survey found needs that fall into four categories:

• People with no teeth or some missing teeth (30 to 35 people);
• People who need crowns or tooth replacement (30 to 35 people);
• People in pain who need extractions (10 to 20 people);
• People who need cleanings, fillings and further assessment (approximately 300 people).

The pilot project so far has connected 20 residents with care from a clinic at the University of the Pacific, a Marin dentist offering pro bono services and a Remote Area Medical Foundation “open house” weekend at the Oakland Coliseum.

These efforts have made headway in restoring smiles for people transitioning out of homelessness, but Homeward Bound aims to do more to solve residents' oral health needs. If you’d like to get involved, please contact Colleen McDermott at 415-382-3363 x217.