Sunday, July 19, 2026

Free Dental Van Parks at Jefferson Branch Library Through Summer

[Images courtesy Young & Healthy / via Facebook]

Young & Healthy and USC dentists offer screenings, cleanings and sealants for Pasadena children ages 5 to 18, by appointment.

A mobile dental clinic has set up outside the Jefferson Branch Library in Pasadena, offering free care to children and teenagers through early August in a summer push the nonprofit Young & Healthy has mounted against a stubborn barrier to learning: untreated tooth decay, which the organization notes is a leading cause of school absences.

Through August 7, licensed dental professionals and students from the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry at the University of Southern California provide screenings, cleanings and sealants for young people ages 5 to 18. The clinic operates from a dental van parked at the library, part of a partnership among Young & Healthy, USC and the Pasadena Public Library.

For Young & Healthy, which has worked for more than three decades to connect low-income Pasadena-area children with medical, dental and mental health care, the timing carries added weight. State budget changes taking effect this summer are expected to affect Medi-Cal dental coverage, and many families displaced by the Eaton Fire continue to face gaps in access. The van is meant to reach children who might otherwise go without a dentist.

Appointments are required. Families can sign up at the Young & Healthy outreach table inside the Jefferson Branch Library or by phone. The organization draws on a network of hundreds of volunteer health professionals and also helps families enroll in insurance coverage.

The screenings serve a purpose beyond the immediate cleaning: they identify children who need further treatment, who can then be connected to follow-up care through Young & Healthy’s broader programs. For parents juggling summer schedules, the clinic offers a rare combination — professional dental care, close to home and at no cost.

Young & Healthy’s free dental clinic runs through Friday, August 7, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Jefferson Branch Library, 1500 E. Villa St., in Pasadena. Appointments are required; visit the Young & Healthy outreach table at the library or call (626) 795-5166. Admission is free.