New Riverside clinic offers veterans, low-income residents a reason to smile -- free dental work

March 05-- Mar. 5--Bennie De La Rosa went to the dentist Monday, March 4, for the first time in 30 years.

The 62-year-old Air Force veteran doesn't smile as often as he used to, and when he does, he covers his mouth with his hand, he said.

"One time, a kid asked me why my teeth were so yellow," he said, "and I didn't have an answer."

The answer is two-fold: First, his teeth were damaged from using meth -- he's 12 years sober now. And second, the resident of Riverside'sHome Front at Camp Anza can't afford most dental care.

Needs like De La Rosa's inspired Dr. Sue Suh to start Smile Unto Him, a dental clinic that offers free care to adults in Riverside County with proof of military service or an income that's no higher than 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The poverty guideline for a one-person household is $12,490 in 2019.

Suh and other dentists volunteer their time and have treated about 35 patients since opening Dec. 22.

They do cleanings, root canals and most other services people need from a dentist, with the average person visiting three times so far and receiving multiple procedures multiple procedures, according to dental manager Eileen Choe.

Most of the equipment is donated as well, either by the companies that produce them or dentists with whom she's worked, Suh said.

She started Smile Unto Him in 2015, after volunteering dental services in low-income areas overseas and in Southern California, but finding a property and then meeting city code requirements delayed patient care.

"Los Angeles and Orange County have services like this, but I wasn't able to find one in Riverside County," said Suh, who lives in Riverside and is an endodontist at Radix Endodontics in Upland.

While Riverside Free Clinic offers medical, psychiatry, counseling and dental services every other Wednesday, Suh aims to make Smile Unto Him a daily operation that provides long-term care. For now, its usual hours are Mondays, 8 a.m. to noon; Thursdays, noon to 4 p.m.; Fridays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Volunteers and patients are needed, Suh said.

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"I know the need is great, and we could have people lined up outside the door," she said, but many people don't seem to know about the clinic yet.

Smile Unto Him is at 6611 Arlington Ave., between Monroe Street and Adams Street. Potential patients or volunteers -- who don't need dental training -- can get more information at 951-977-9415 or http://smileuntohim.org.

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