SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Dentists, parents, and public health advocates gathered at the California State Capitol this week to oppose Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan to cut $362 million from the state’s Medi-Cal Dental program. Advocates warned that the reduction would severely impact preventive dental care for low-income children.
The rally, organized by the “Hands Off Kids’ Health” Coalition, called on lawmakers to reject the January 2026 budget proposal. Nearly 40% of Medi-Cal Dental funding for children would be eliminated under the plan. Of the proposed $362 million cuts, $144 million specifically supports dental care for minors from low-income families. In addition, the state risks losing an estimated $180 million in federal matching funds.
Coalition members emphasized that the child dental program accounts for a minuscule portion of California’s $350 billion annual budget—just 0.041%.
“Dental problems don’t just cause pain—they interrupt learning, affect confidence, and widen achievement gaps,” said Dana Durham, chief of the Department of Health Care Services’ Medi-Cal Dental Services Division. She noted that most dental issues are preventable and that Medi-Cal provides free dental coverage for eligible children.
Speakers highlighted that cutting funding would worsen existing disparities. A 2020 report found that 14.8% of California children ages 1 to 17 had cavities or decaying teeth, placing the state among the highest rates in the nation. In 2022, less than half of children enrolled in Medi-Cal—47.6%—used their dental benefits.
Access remains a critical barrier. Ten counties in California have no Medi-Cal Dental providers, and many areas face provider shortages that limit appointment availability.
“Cutting Medi-Cal Dental for kids is shortsighted and dangerous,” said Dr. Jeff Jacobson, a Sacramento dentist. He warned that reduced reimbursement rates could drive providers out of the program, forcing families to rely on costly emergency room visits.
The California Department of Public Health reported that in 2022, 351,000 children ages 5 to 17 missed school due to dental problems, resulting in nearly 870,000 lost school days. The financial impact on districts totaled roughly $60 million in attendance-based funding.
Advocates also pointed to the burden on families. Emergency dental care is significantly more expensive than preventive treatment, and parents often lose wages when caring for children with dental pain.
“Farmworkers feed California, yet too many of their children struggle to access basic dental care,” said Esther Flores of the California Farmworker Foundation. “Taking time off for an appointment can mean losing wages.”
Dr. George Mayweather, a Sacramento-area orthodontist, said the proposed cuts reflect misplaced priorities. “Budgets reflect values. If protecting health care access for vulnerable children is a priority, lawmakers should preserve Medi-Cal Dental funding,” he said.
School officials echoed the concern. Estella Kessler, a trustee for the Selma Unified School District, said untreated dental pain affects learning. “When children walk into school holding their cheeks in pain, they cannot focus and fall behind. We cannot allow preventable dental problems to stand in the way of a child’s education,” she said.
The coalition is urging legislators to maintain funding, warning that eliminating preventive dental care would increase long-term health and economic costs for the state.