Smile Stories: Desert Senita Dental Center Spreads Healthy Smiles Across Arizona

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Nia at Desert Senita Dental Clinic
Desert Senita Dental Center and Delta Dental of Arizona partner together to teach Arizona kids, like Nia, how to maintain healthy smiles.

Improving oral health in Arizona starts with teaching children and adults how to maintain a healthy mouth. The Desert Senita Dental Center (DSDC) believes in providing affordable dental care for all and helps patients create good oral health habits. Through a Delta Dental of Arizona grant-funded program, DSDC visits children and pregnant women across the state to provide screenings, fluoride varnish treatments and silver diamine fluoride procedures.

Nia’s Story

Nia is a third grader in Ajo, AZ. She had sore teeth, which made it hard for her to focus on her school work. When the dental professionals from Desert Senita Community Health Center’s dental center came to her school, Nia was scared, but let them look in her mouth. Dr. Jennifer Lim told Nia she had 11 cavities which were making her mouth sore and they would need to be fixed.

“Why do I have cavities?” Nia asked. Dr. Lim explained how the bacteria in her mouth were eating the leftover food and drinks. The bacteria create acids that can make holes in our teeth, known as cavities. She learned that if she brushed her teeth for two minutes twice a day, less bacteria would be in her mouth and then fewer cavities. It was the first time she heard about brushing twice a day and cavities.

Nia’s parents took her to the dental center and Nia’s teeth were fixed. During one visit, she told Dr. Lim she brushes her teeth 3 times a day, even after lunch at school. Her mother said Nia cannot wait to come to the dentist and keeps asking when she has her next appointment.

Delta Dental of Arizona is proud to partner with Desert Senita Community Health Center to create healthy smiles.

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Barb Kozuh
Barb Kozuh is the executive director of the Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation. She and her team work to make a positive impact to improve the health and wellness of the underserved and under-represented people across Arizona. The foundation focuses on funding oral health and food insecurity programs through medical-dental integration programs, screening/fluoride varnish programs, oral health education programs, plus a variety of food banks, after-school and weekend programs that provide food to those in need. Barb was inspired by the dedication, patience and kind-heartedness of her childhood family dentist in Joliet, IL and wanted to make others feel good about their smiles by becoming a dentist. However, after graduating from Arizona State University with a business degree, she was lured into the non-profit sports industry where she was able to both fulfill her need to help others and satisfy her love of sports. Barb has served as executive director of Chicago White Sox Charities, the Frank Thomas Charitable Foundation and Phoenix Coyotes Charities. In addition, Barb has worked in marketing, advertising and public relations for a number of firms in Chicago. Barb serves on the Delta Dental Institute advisory council, board of the Corporate Volunteer Council and is a member of the Arizona Oral Health Coalition.