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Agents of Change

Meet an Agent of Change: Dr. Eduardo Correa He's is on a Mission: Bringing Smiles – Healthy Smiles – to Children in Orange County

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Eduardo Correa has been practicing pediatric dentistry in Orange County for over five years, and already has treated thousands of children, and he’s just getting started.  About to begin his own private practice, he currently wears three hats, as a staff pediatric dentist at Healthy Smiles for Kids of Orange County, Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Southern California (USC), and instructor in USC’s pediatric dentistry residency training program at Children’s Hospital of Orange County. All of this because Dr. Correa is on a mission to educate children and parents on the importance of oral health care, and to bring quality care to children who otherwise would not have access to it.   He is unabashedly zealous about what he does, and why he is doing it.  “I am passionate about creating a lifetime relationship of trust with parents and their children so I can help them develop good oral health habits from the time the first tooth comes in.” In the three years that he has been part of Healthy Smiles for Kids of Orange County (HSKOC), Dr. Correa has experienced first-hand the benefit and importance of Proposition 10 funding provided by the Children and Families Commission of Orange County (CFCOC).  Founded seven years ago with funding from CFCOC, Healthy Smiles is a Garden Grove-based non-profit community service organization dedicated to improving the oral health of children in Orange County through collaborative programs directed at prevention, education, access to treatment and advocacy.   “By incorporating an organization such as Healthy Smiles for Kids of Orange County, and by partnerships with USC’s Pediatric Dental Residency Program and Children’s Hospital of Orange County, the Commission is helping to provide vital oral health services to children with the greatest needs – children who would probably not be served otherwise,” said Correa.  “Families who are under-insured or not insured are cared for in a respectful, loving manner by a well trained staff of experienced pediatric dentists and pediatric dental residents.” Being concerned about special children in need is something Dr. Correa credits his parents with instilling in him.  “My parents started out with very little and worked hard, yet always found a way to help those less fortunate.  They told my brothers and me that we should always be mindful of people who had less than we did.”  Born and raised in southern California, he was interested in health care from a relatively early age, but did not focus specifically on dentistry until he was a student at California State University, Long Beach, where he was majoring in biochemistry.  While there, a friend of his father’s – a dentist – introduced him to the specialty, which immediately captured Dr. Correa’s imagination.  After graduation, he went on to earn a degree in dentistry at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and then to the University of Southern California (USC), for more specialized training in pediatric dentistry.  One professor there called him “a natural.”   Dr. Correa humbly agrees.  “I found my calling. I love helping kids and working with their parents,” he says.  Even before he was finished with his studies, Healthy Smiles for Kids of Orange County asked him to join their team, and he did not hesitate for a second.  “I knew it was where I belonged.”  It offered what he described as “the perfect combination” of treating children, working with the community and helping train other pediatric dentists, of which there is a significant shortage in Orange County.    He points out that one out of every three children in Orange County suffers from untreated dental decay - a rate higher than California's statewide average. It’s important for a child to see a pediatric dentist by age one -- waiting longer invites a lot of problems that can easily be prevented. Dr. Correa emphasizes that good oral health is about more than just a pretty smile.  Studies have shown that good oral health is an essential part of good overall physical and psychological health.   “We’ve treated many kids who have had behavioral problems, but whose parents cannot figure out why.  Once we get these children back to oral health, their behavior improved dramatically.  Sometimes kids don’t know why or even where they’re hurting, or cannot express it very well.   But they sure know when they’re feeling better!”     Thanks to Healthy Smiles for Kids of Orange County, the range and sophistication of treatment options now being made available is nothing short of miraculous to those in need.  Critically needed oral and in-office IV sedations that have, in the past been reserved for families able to afford them, are now reaching the underserved.  Healthy Smiles’ pediatric dentists are now able to make hospital dentistry under general anesthesia available to children who have special medical needs such as heart conditions, bleeding disorders, mental and developmental challenges and other serious diseases.  A full-range two chair mobile dental unit has been created to deploy throughout Orange County, providing much needed screenings, prevention education and dental treatment to children who lack transportation to a dentist’s office.   And back at Healthy Smiles’ office, an interactive state-of-the-art “Tooth Fairy Learning Center” – an inviting and fun place for children and families to learn about good oral health – complete with computers, puppet shows, child-friendly dental chairs and equipment, science lab and healthy eating kitchen, has become quite popular with children (and adults) of all ages.   In addition to the Commission, Dr. Correa credits what he calls the “wonderful, caring, loving, talented individuals” at Healthy Smiles for Kids of Orange County.  “Everyone from my fellow pediatric dentists, to the front and back office staff, is amazing.  And so is our community.” Being on such a dedicated team is just one reason why Dr. Correa looks forward to work every day.  Another is sharing his considerable expertise with the next generation of pediatric dentists.  “It is very humbling to know that I have a hand in teaching incoming second year pediatric dentistry residents and imparting my knowledge and skills to help them be the best clinicians they can be, so they can help serve the wonderful children of Orange County.”

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