For the poor and uninsured, finding affordable dental care often presents a challenge. Language barriers can further complicate the search. In recognition of the importance of getting oral health services to people who might otherwise go without, Catholic Charities has been operating a dental clinic in the District since 1975.
But years of service had left the Catholic Charities DC Dental Clinic in need of modernization. After closing for two months to complete the necessary work, the clinic reopened on the morning of Sept. 9. Before the first patients of the day were seen, Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, offered a prayer.
“Today, we ask God’s blessing on the DC Dental Clinic, on the patients who are treated here, and on the good women and men who serve them with tender charity,” said Wuerl. “This outstanding effort is part of that culture of solidarity which sees those who come to receive care-not as strangers, but as brothers and sisters.”
The dental clinic, part of the Spanish Catholic Center, is located at 1618 Monroe St. NW. Its goal is to provide dental care to Latin American residents, based upon their ability to pay.
Located in historic Mt. Pleasant at the “core of the Spanish-speaking community,” as organizers say, the Catholic Charities DC Dental Clinic treated more than 2,100 patients last year, many of whom were low income and lacking dental benefits.
According to Catholic Charities, the $200,000 renovation project provided new cabinets and floors, as well as an additional dental chair, enabling the clinic to see an estimated 20 percent more patients in the future.
The dedication ceremony was led by Rev. Mario E. Dorsonville, Vice President of Mission and Immigrant Outreach at Catholic Charities, and was attended by longtime supporters, including many volunteer dentists who have worked for years at the clinic.
At the ceremony, Wuerl praised the clinic’s staff for making a real difference in people’s lives.
“Thanks to their dedication, this clinic will continue to bring hope and create smiles, making for a better, brighter, happier world,” he said.
