NONPROFIT
BY ZARA FLORES
2023 HEALTH CARE EDITION
Kids Tooth Team Outreach Local dentists o er free care to underserved communities I n 2019, before Alex and Tim Otto opened the rst location of their dental practice Kids Tooth Team in Buda, the couple received their 501(c) (3) for Kids Tooth Team Outreach in an e ort to give back to the community. While Alex was completing her pediatric resi- dency in Alaska, the two identi ed geography as one of the main barriers in access to care and came across the same issue in Texas. “Go outside of any of the major cities, … and it’s like you’re going into a third-world country in some areas as far as access to care, access to nutrition, access to other health services,” Tim said. By December 2021, the Ottos’ dream came to fru- ition when St. David’s Healthcare donated a mobile dental clinic so they could drive to rural, underserved communities and provide free dental care. “We had this idea in our heads, but without this physical donation, there’s no way that we would be able to go do everything that we can do at these schools,” Alex said. “90% of what we can do in my o ce we can do in the van.” They hit the road almost immediately and began providing free dental care in early 2022 to children in Hays and Caldwell counties. They return to schools every six months to follow up with the children they’ve served. “We’re not just treating the kids and hope everything goes well. … We’re coming back every six months so they have a reliable schedule of care,” Tim said. Outreach days are some of Alex’s favorite days of the year, she said, but it’s not always feasible, so they have enlisted the help of other dentists in the area. “It’s a way that they give back to the community, and the kids are so excited we’re there,” Alex said.
DID YOU KNOW? Children ages 5-19 from low-income families are twice as likely to have cavities compared to children who come from higher-income families, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than half of San Marcos CISD’s student body is considered economically disadvantaged.
Alex (left) and Tim Otto founded Kids Tooth Team Outreach in 2019 and began o ering free dental care to children in 2022.
ZARA FLORES COMMUNITY IMPACT
DENTAL SERVICES DELIVERED Though the Kids Tooth Team Outreach van is only 40 feet long and on wheels, about 90% of the services o ered at a brick-and-mortar dentist o ce
can still be done there. The nonpro t o ers:
Preventive care: diagnostics and prevention treatment key to long-term oral health
Dr. Alex Otto works on a patient at the outreach bus. COURTESY KIDS TOOTH TEAM OUTREACH
Restorative care: minor restorative treatments such as llings and crowns
Treatment plans: plans to be followed up on by the nonpro t or community partners
Dental education: providing information and education about oral health, aiding in preventive care
Get involved The nonpro t is always seeking to add dentists, dental assistants and predental students to its roster of volunteers. Kids Tooth Team Outreach is also majorly funded by the Ottos, and donations are always welcome.
Kids Tooth Team Outreach www.kidstoothteamoutreach.org
Dr. Neal Shah and dental assistant Jasmine Hernandez of Austin Dental Arts volunteer at the outreach van. COURTESY KIDS TOOTH TEAM OUTREACH
SPEECH THERAPY Outside of the Box
Saturdays and Evenings Available Pediatric Specialist Accent Modification for Adults
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SAN MARCOS BUDA KYLE EDITION • JUNE 2023
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