Thread by @manuelatobiasm

#THREAD on how this @FresnoBee story came together.

This is an issue that is rarely talked about but gets in the way of advancing out of poverty. bit.ly/32kWPI5

@FresnoBee During reporting, I learned that some people pull out their own teeth; dentures are stolen; and some dentures are so painful people ditch them and chew with their gums. After a house fire, a man lost his ID and his chance to get dentures.
bit.ly/32kWPI5

@FresnoBee I dug up Gina’s story on @gofundme. Her teeth are yellow, crooked and browning. Some crumbled off like chalk, and others are decaying. She considers herself an extrovert and dreams of opening her own business, but shame pushed her into the shadows. bit.ly/32kWPI5

@FresnoBee @gofundme Nearly everyone I interviewed is covered by Medi-Cal. But many can’t access the services they are eligible for because they can’t find a dentist who takes Medi-Cal for covered services. Changes in coverage over the years have left patients confused. bit.ly/32kWPI5

STATS: Fewer than one-quarter of eligible adults enrolled in Medi-Cal statewide avail themselves of dental benefits that are included in the program. bit.ly/32kWPI5

Places like @PoverelloHouse’s Holy Cross Clinic help. Delilah got a free filling there, thanks to which she got the job at a construction firm she was rejected from a year prior. bit.ly/32kWPI5

At @UUtah’s School of Dentistry, Destiny underwent teeth work alongside rehab and is now an office assistant for the mayor.

“I can kiss my baby and not feel ashamed. Without teeth, you don’t wanna show your mouth to anybody, including your kids.” bit.ly/32kWPI5