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Welcome to Fillings, a space dedicated to highlighting impactful conversations, publications, and personal stories that bring attention to dental disparities within the Latinx community. The Latinx Pre-Dental Society (LPDS) offers a platform for Latinx students to share stories that shape health outcomes and foster understanding. Through collaboration with our members, we aim to empower voices and drive change. Here, you can explore recent highlights and contribute your own experiences.
Welcome to Fillings, a space dedicated to highlighting impactful conversations, publications, and personal stories that bring attention to dental disparities within the Latinx community. The Latinx Pre-Dental Society (LPDS) offers a platform for Latinx students to share stories that shape health outcomes and foster understanding. Through collaboration with our members, we aim to empower voices and drive change. Here, you can explore recent highlights and contribute your own experiences.
Javier Rodriguez-Rivera
Javier Rodriguez-Rivera
Javier Rodriguez-Rivera, a fourth-year pre-dental student at UCLA and Vice President of the Latinx Pre-Dental Society, wrote this op-ed to address dental care inequities in the Latinx community. Inspired by his mother’s experiences, he advocates for better access, empathy, and preventive care.
In 2018, my then 52-year-old mother, who is Spanish-speaking, uninsured, and undocumented, experienced a traumatic accident that resulted in the loss of her upper incisors. This led her to withdraw from society by concealing her smile, refusing to attend family gatherings, and carrying swollen eyes from perpetual crying. As a 15-year-old, I found it devastating to see her suffer from shame, anxiety, and depression that I could not alleviate. My family was struggling economically, but we eventually decided that investing in her prosthetic treatment was necessary to address her psychological and dental health.
This would be her first visit to the dentist in over 25 years.
We invite you to share your experiences related to dental care disparities. Your stories can help inform our community and influence policy change. Submissions can be kept anonymous or attributed, depending on your preference.
We invite you to share your experiences related to dental care disparities. Your stories can help inform our community and influence policy change. Submissions can be kept anonymous or attributed, depending on your preference.
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