Joseph, age 1
Humboldt County 

In February 2011, Tina’s 1-year-old son, Joseph, had a bad fall. She rushed him to the hospital thinking the worst. Thankfully, the physician found him to be fine, except for a broken front tooth. However, Tina was unable to find a pediatric dentist who accepted Medi-Cal. What started as a broken tooth, requiring minor treatment, resulted in a year’s worth of pain, health risks, and accumulated costs.

Tina Infante lived in Mendocino, an area that has a shortage of dentists who will care for low-income children on Medi-Cal. Tina did not own a car, and the pediatric dentists were 100 to 150 miles away. To make matters worse, she was unable to find a provider that did not have a long wait list. “They sent me a letter stating it would be three or four months before they could see him,” Tina said. “Later, they said it would be even longer.”

Tina felt helpless, as she noticed her son’s teeth begin to rot. Joseph’s dental caries were spreading. In September, the family moved to Eureka. “One of the reasons we moved to Humboldt County was to find more resources for Joseph,” she said. Still, there was a long wait time before Joseph could be seen. The waiting was agony, as Joseph’s health began to deteriorate. He cried and fussed most of the day, clinging to Tina’s legs. He lost his appetite. 

Then, Tina noticed something strange about his face. “At first, it was slight,” she explained. “Then, his face got really puffy, and we took him to the emergency room (ER).” Joseph had facial edema caused by his oral infection. Facial swelling is serious and can prevent swallowing or close off a person’s airway. Joseph had a high fever and severe infection. He was taken to the ER twice for antibiotic treatments. The second time he was almost admitted to the hospital.  “Over the next couple of weeks, Joseph got better and he was able to receive the dental treatment he needed,” Tina explained.

What started with one broken tooth ended nine months later with two visits to the ER and four extractions by a pediatric dentist. However, most of the trauma, and additional cost associated with it, could have been avoided if Joseph had simply received timely care. 

Unfortunately, the future is a mystery for Joseph’s smile because diseased baby teeth can adversely affect permanent teeth. “Our dentist said that he may have deformed teeth or really crooked teeth,” Tina said. “We won’t know until he’s older and his permanent teeth come in.”