Who do we serve?
According to the Economic Policy Institute, poverty for a single parent of one child is defined as $12,830/year. For this same family to afford the average two-bedroom apartment in Austin, the parent must earn an annual salary of $32,580 (www.epinet.org). Too many of the working poor in Austin are caught in this gap between the poverty line and the actual cost of living. They do not qualify for government-assisted health care, but nor are they financially secure enough to afford essential medical services, including dental care. It is for these thousands of individuals that the Manos de Cristo Dental Clinic exists.

Why are we needed?
The national need for improved dental care is enormous, and in Texas the need is even greater. Texas is ranked last in the nation in percentage of the population that has health insurance. Texas also ranks last in the percentage of low-income children who are insured. According to the Surgeon General, medically uninsured children are 2.5 times less likely than insured children to receive dental care. Texas is 48th nationally among those who have access to dental care (“Texas on the Brink,” www.shapleigh.org). Therefore, Manos de Cristo Dental Clinic’s services are invaluable. Since 1990, the Dental Clinic has provided tens of thousands of appointments to Austin’s working poor. Its excellent reputation has continued to bring clients, both because of other agencies that make referrals as well as satisfied clients.

What do we do?
The Manos de Cristo Dental Clinic is currently the only low-fee, full-service dental clinic in Austin. As such, Manos bears the enormous responsibility of offering the best care possible to the most vulnerable among us: the children and families who lack resources to meet their needs. In 2007, the clinic provided more than 7,500 appointments and $1,125,000 in free dental services to Austin’s working poor. The high demand for affordable dental care makes it increasingly difficult to serve the many that come to our doors. In addition to emergency care to people in pain, Manos offers a full range of restorative care, such as fillings, crowns, partials and periodontal treatment, as well as preventative care, including exams, x-rays, sealants, and regular cleanings.

How effective are we?
Total cost (expenses) as compared to the number of people served (services provided) is evident in the below chart:

[Basic Needs] [Education]