“HEROES”, Assistance League of Redlands Dental Committee, held a day of celebration on May 20, 2021. The Dental Center, operated by Assistance League, has been open with no closures due to COVID since June 8, 2020. None of the staff members contracted the virus. Patient count continues to rise and procedures have been extended as more are vaccinated and it is easier to get PPEs now compared to a year ago.
Along with Dental Committee members, staff took part in following guidelines from the CDC, ADA, and state and county agencies to develop protocols for getting necessary sanitation supplies. They are all true Heroes.
Assistance League of Redlands has operated a low-cost Dental Center since 1950. Originally, only children were treated by volunteer dentists two days per week at a local hospital. In 1965, the current Dental Center was opened and in 2001, the program was expanded to include adults. By 2008, the numbers of patients far exceeded the space available and a new state of the art five chair center was opened. In collaboration with Loma Linda School of Dentistry, student interns in dentistry and hygiene have had the opportunity to treat patients, under supervision, prior to graduation. A monthly Free Clinic was added to serve homeless youth and adults four years ago. The Dental Center has been low cost since its inception, “improving lives in our community one child and one family at a time.”
