Carol smiles showing off her new dentures.

Carol’s life has not been easy. Now in her 70s, she has faced decades of drug addiction, homelessness, and declining health. A recent stroke left her hospitalized, but it also created an opportunity for change. After the stroke, her daughter Mary was finally able to move her into her home in Contra Costa County. Carol’s daughter Mary said the The Dentists on Wheels Pittsburg Free Dental Clinic at St Vincent de Paul provided life-changing dental care for Carol when she needed it most.

“My mom had drug and addiction issues,” Mary said. “About 20 years ago she started to lose her teeth, and about 10 years ago she chose to make herself homeless. It’s been hard.”

During those years, Carol lived apart from her family in Northern California. As her health worsened and her teeth fell out, she withdrew more and more. Mary said there was little she could do until her mother’s stroke forced a turning point.

“When she had a stroke, I was able to bring her down here to the Bay Area to live with me,” Mary said. “She had to detox in the hospital, and it was rough. She was really reeling for a long time.”

Even after moving in, recovery wasn’t easy. Carol often kept to herself and chose to live outside Mary’s home. The loss of her teeth made her feel embarrassed and unwilling to talk with others.

“When someone told me about the Dentists on Wheels Pittsburg Free Dental Clinic at St. Vincent de Paul, she had about 8 teeth left that were slowly rotting away,” Mary said. “Over a few months she had to have them pulled, because she was in pain, her face was swelling up.

The Dentists on Wheels Pittsburg Free Dental Clinic at St. Vincent de Paul, a collaboration between Dentists on Wheels and St. Vincent de Paul of Contra Costa County, was able to provide a full set of free dentures.

The difference has been dramatic. With dentures, Carol has begun smiling again and talking more often with her daughter and family.
“She hasn’t been confident enough to go out with us, but I can finally see that changing Mary said.

“She wears her dentures every day now that she has them, you can just tell it’s been really important to her. The Dentists on Wheels Pittsburg Free Dental Clinic at St. Vincent de Paul has been a life saver for her, and for me. All I want is to see her enjoy what time she has left, to make friends and live normally, and I think she’s going to get that.”

Carol’s story shows how much impact access to free dental care can make. For her, the clinic didn’t just provide dentures—it gave her the chance to rebuild confidence, reconnect with family, and begin to take part in life again.

Opened in 2021, the Dentists on Wheels Pittsburg Free Dental Clinic at St. Vincent de Paul is the first of its kind for uninsured residents in Contra Costa County.

The volunteer dental professionals ensure Carol receives the care she needs.

The inspiration for the clinic began back in 2015, when SVdP’s Dental Program stepped in to help a participant in our job training program. This participant had been struggling to find work and lacked confidence because he was missing his front teeth. When SVdP covered the cost of his dental restoration, the transformation was immediate—his self-esteem returned, and new opportunities opened. That experience showed us just how life-changing access to restorative dental care could be.

Today, that vision has grown into a fully equipped, three-chair dental clinic, built by SVdP and operated in partnership with Dentists on Wheels (DoW). Thanks to this collaboration—and the generosity of volunteer dental professionals—hundreds of uninsured neighbors across Contra Costa County now receive the dental care they need and deserve. Because of this effort, people like Carol can once again smile with confidence.

Names have been changed for the protection and anonymity of all involved in this story.