Benjamin Daugherty
Lassen County 

When Christie Daugherty took her son, Benjamin, 2, to his first dental visit, it did not go well. “He kicked and screamed,” Christie said. “It was so bad that the dentist said Benjamin would have to be sedated.” Benjamin had several cavities in his top front teeth that needed treatment. However, Benjamin has a heart murmur. The dentist was uncomfortable treating him due to his condition, and recommended an oral surgeon. “I called three or four offices that were a couple of hours away,” she said. “But no one accepted Medi-Cal. One of the offices I contacted said that I should try San Francisco.” Eventually, Benjamin would receive treatment at the University of San Francisco, more than nine hours away from Christie’s home in Susanville.

The treatment in San Francisco required four trips. The first visit was for an exam and to determine if the procedure was Medi-Cal eligible. The next three appointments were for pre-op, surgery, and follow-up, respectively. Each trip was difficult for Christie, a single mother who works as a CNA (certified nursing assistant) at a retirement home. Christie also has a 9-year-old daughter, Aiyana. “Each time we went, I had to take two days off work, and I had to pull Aiyana out of school,” she explained. “It took $70 in gas, and we had to get a motel for $100, and then you have food.” Christie estimates that she spent close to $1,000 to take Benjamin to the University of San Francisco four times. “I was able to scrape the money together each time, but if I couldn’t, I don’t know what we would have done.”

Benjamin will be 4 years old soon, and he is better in the dental chair. “He’s matured enough to understand what’s going on,” Christie said. Benjamin has been able to return to the dentist in Susanville. However, Benjamin just became eligible for dental insurance under Christie's employer. “There’s only one office that takes Medi-Cal in Susanville, so they are always busy. It takes about two or three months to get an appointment,” she said. “Now I’ll be able to take Benjamin to other dentists in town and the wait will be much shorter.”