SANTA YNEZ — The Santa Ynez Tribal Health Clinic held its fifth annual Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) event on Tuesday, Feb. 4, at the clinic, located on the reservation at 90 Via Juana Lane in Santa Ynez. The event provided children, ages 12 and under, with free dental work, including exams, cleanings, and more.
As one of SYTHC’s biggest events of the year, the clinic’s Dental Department provided dental care for any local child regardless of income or insurance status. Children received a comprehensive oral examination (including X-rays when appropriate), teeth cleaning, oral health education, and dietary recommendations. Any treatment that was diagnosed during the exams will be completed at follow-up visits throughout 2025. The event was staffed by SYTHC dentists, registered dental assistants and dental hygienists. The event saw 28 children being treated with a total of $7,300 in services as no cost to their families. over $4,200 of dental services were provided to 19 children at no cost to their families.
“Our dental clinic looks forward to this event every year, because it gives us an opportunity to shine a light on the importance of pediatric oral health, and to hopefully make a positive and lasting impact on our young patients,” said Dr. Mike Savidan, dental director for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, before the big event.
Located on the Santa Ynez Reservation at 90 Via Juana Lane in Santa Ynez, SYTHC accommodates more than 25,000 patient visits per year, has an active patient population of over 8,300 and employs 70 team members. The staff specializes in the highest standards of quality health care through modern medicine and cultural traditions. While the clinic’s comprehensive medical, dental and behavioral health services are available to Chumash Community Members, the clinic also treats non-native patients of diverse ethnic backgrounds with unique needs. The facility accepts Medicare, Medi-Cal and most major insurance plans.
The clinic is an unincorporated instrumentality of the tribe and is part of the Indian Health Service (IHS). SYTHC is also a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that receives grant and third-party funding as a mature contractor. For more information, contact SYTHC at (805) 688-7070 or log on to sythc.org
