California is preparing for possible deep cuts to publicly funded children’s dental care in 2026 — a move that experts and local officials warn would hit the Central Valley particularly hard.
The state already ranks among the worst in the nation for pediatric dental disease. Lawmakers facing an $18 billion budget shortfall are considering reductions that could include Medi-Cal Dental, officials say. Advocates warn such cuts would erase years of progress and widen health inequities.
Dental problems are the leading cause of school absenteeism. In 2022, more than 351,000 California children missed at least one school day due to dental issues — about 900,000 lost school days in total. Those absences cost school districts an estimated $60 million that year.
A Selma resident who spent more than 40 years as an administrative assistant in Selma Unified schools and now serves on the district board described the toll firsthand.
Born and raised on Yerba Street in Selma, a rural Central Valley town of roughly 25,000, she said she often helped students who arrived at the office in pain. When a child suffered from dental pain, staff worked with nurses to arrange care because untreated problems frequently escalated.
“Many families here are low-income, English learners, foster youth, or homeless,” she said, noting that nearly 93% of the district’s students are classified as high-need. For these families, accessing dental care can mean long drives and months-long waits for appointments. Emergency room visits for dental problems can top $2,000.
Preventive care is key, she added, but remains out of reach for many. In 2022, only 47.6% of children enrolled in Medi-Cal used their dental benefits — a figure advocates say reflects limited access in communities like Selma.
School staff also see the educational consequences. Students in pain struggle to concentrate, skip meals, and fall behind academically, the board member said. For some children, school is a safe place where breakfast, lunch and occasional free dental services funded through Medi-Cal keep them healthy and reduce strain on families.
With the state budget gap looming, local leaders fear cuts to Medi-Cal Dental will reverse gains and increase emergency room visits, family hardship, and missed school days. They are urging lawmakers to seek alternatives to reducing children’s health services as they balance the budget.
“Cutting dental care now would leave the next generation behind,” the Selma official said. “We’ve seen the difference consistent dental services make for students’ health and school success.”