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3-year-old Doug is one of more than 2,500 children who have received low-cost or no-cost dental surgery at PDI

Three-year-old Doug was recently referred to the PDI Surgery Center, a United Way grantee, after Baby Bottle Tooth Decay badly corroded his teeth.  This kind of tooth decay is most often associated with young children who fall asleep with bottles in their mouths, allowing sugary liquids (juice and milk) to pool around their teeth.

All told, Doug needed 11 teeth capped and two incisors removed — treatment that required anesthesia because of his young age.

“I didn’t realize tooth decay could begin so early,” said Doug’ mother, Elly, as she prepared for Doug’s oral surgery. PDI coordinated and paid for Doug’s transportation to the surgery center, and a PDI case manager accompanied him through the surgical process.

Doug emerged from the surgery just fine, and was back to his chipper self in no time.  His mom says she learned a lot from the experience and recognizes the importance of cleaning teeth at a young age. She is now very aware of the potential trouble that Sam, her one and-a-half-year-old son, may face without proper dental hygiene during the early stages of his teeth’s development. She vows not to make the same mistake twice.

PDI Results

United Way’s Bay Area Community Fund supports the PDI Surgery Center, which provides dental surgery to low-income families from Marin, Napa and other North Bay counties.  Many of these families have neither health nor dental insurance.  PDI’s work aligns with United Way’s efforts to ensure young children enter school healthy and ready to learn.

Since January 2008, PDI has treated over 2,200 children, provided transportation assistance through its Patient Sponsorship Program (PSP), and dental education and outreach to over 10,000 children and their parents.