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Six-year-old Christina Romero, indicates where she had a toothache so severe, she had a fever and it caused her to miss school, with her mother, Mari Maldonado, left. Almost two decades ago, the state made Sacramento County the testing ground for a new model of delivering dental care to poor children. Officials envisioned a managed care system that would control costs and improve children's ability to see a dentist. Today that model persists but state data show that the county has consistently produced one of California's worst records for care. Critics contend that Sacramento's special model of care forces many children to wait months or even years before receiving needed treatment, even if they have broken or rotting teeth, or are in so much pain they can't chew. -
Michelle Kucera, D.D.S. talks with her patient, Jesus Rojas Jimenez, 4, during an exam at the Effort's Oak Park dental clinic, where a vast majority of kids they see are on Denti-Cal. -
Twins, Ebelin Lara, left, and Emily Lara, right, 4, of Sacramento sit in the waiting room along with Jesus Rojas Jimenez, 4, center, at the Effort's Oak Park dental clinic, where a vast majority of kids they see are on Denti-Cal. -
Jesus Rojas Jimenez, 4, bites down on a slide while having dental X-rays done at the Effort's Oak Park dental clinic, where a vast majority of kids they see are on Denti-Cal. -
Fatima Pelayo sits in the waiting room with her two-year-old, Jocelyn, at the Effort's Oak Park dental clinic, where a vast majority of kids they see are on Denti-Cal. -
Michelle Kucera, D.D.S., left, opens the door for her patient, Julia Lara, 9, as her twin sisters Ebelin Lara, left in doorway, and Emily Lara, right, 4, anxiously await following an exam at the Effort's Oak Park dental clinic, where a vast majority of kids they see are on Denti-Cal. -
Michelle Kucera, D.D.S., left, talks with a parent prior to performing a root canal on her daughter, Julia Lara, 9, center, at the Effort's Oak Park dental clinic, where a vast majority of kids they see are on Denti-Cal. -
Dr. Cynthia Stuart who does not participate in the managed care Medi-Cal system, helped out 16-year-old, Chris Durst who was developing an abcess and prescribed him antibiotics. Durst, a Medi-Cal patient, had to wait months to get the appointment needed to fix his tooth. -
Chris Durst, 16, talks about the challenges he faced getting a dental appointment even though his tooth was developing an abcess and he had to take pain medication and antibiotics. It still took his three months to get the care he needed. -
Six-year-old Christina Romero, is happy to have been treated at The Effort after having had a toothache that was so severe, she had a fever and had to miss school.
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