Benjamin is the first staff dentist at the Siouxland Community Health Center's new four-chair dental clinic. He said at least half the children he has seen have rampant tooth decay.
Some patients have poor nutrition - they drink too much pop and sugary juice.
And he sees babies being put to bed with bottles of milk or juice which causes decay in their tiny new teeth. Benjamin's mission is to provide the education, prevention and treatment those children need. The need is huge. The Community Health Center long ago identified dental services as a critical void in its service area, the eight U.S. Census tracts that make up downtown and the southwest side of the city. The Iowa Department of Public Health estimates the area has one dentist for every 13,100 people.