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SBNC CEO Dr. Mahdi Ashrafian | Credit: Issac Hernandez 
Smile Bus Interior | Credit: Issac Hernandez 
(Left to right: Steve Jacobson: Good Neighbor, Claudia Ramos: Dental Outreach Coordinator, Breanna Montes: Patient Access Navigator (Front Desk), Marbella Mariscal: Eastside Dental Clinic Assistant Manager, Ali Valipour: Board Member, Mahdi Ashrafian: CEO, Delia Ortega: Dental Assistant, Jayme Johnson: Dentist, Christina Mendoza: Dental Director, Martin Villegas: Mobile Dental Clinic & Dental Outreach Manager, Giselle Alvarez: Dental Assistant, Diana Martinez: Dental Operations Manager, Teres Anis: Board Member, Chris Lambert: Board President) | Credit: Issac Hernandez
Santa Barbara, CA, November 18, 2025 – Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics (SBNC) successfully unveiled its new “Smile Bus” Mobile Dental vehicle on Tuesday, November 18th, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Santa Barbara City lot at Leadbetter Beach. The event brought together local officials, SBNC supporters and friends, and SBNC leadership and staff to celebrate the expansion of mobile dental care in the Greater Santa Barbara community.
Dental care is important for kids to maintain good teeth and gum health, ensure that they can chew and speak properly, and establish lifelong healthy habits. Dental care is important for overall healthcare because oral health is directly linked to general health. Dental decay is the leading disease in children worldwide. Nationally, over 34 million school hours are missed each year due to dental-related treatment.
SBNC’s Dental Health Outreach Program began operating the Smile Van two years ago within the Santa Barbara Unified School District to provide dental screenings, fluoride varnish applications, and follow-up comprehensive dental care to students who needed treatment. The school-based program benefits all parties involved. Students spend less time out of class since treatment is done at their school, parents don’t have to take time off work to attend appointments, and SBNC can serve more members of the community in their brick-and-mortar clinics, as school visits prevent appointment slots from being filled by cases already handled on campus.
After a successful first year screening all nine of Santa Barbara Unified School District’s elementary schools and two of its middle schools, SBNC expanded services to Goleta and began serving Goleta Union School District in the 2024–2025 school year, in addition to SBUSD.
Today, SBNC’s Dental Outreach department provides a combination of dental screenings and comprehensive dental treatments to 18 of Santa Barbara and Goleta’s elementary schools, as well as students of Carpinteria Children’s Project, summer attendees of the United Boys and Girls Club, and residents of Gardens on Hope and Garden Court. To date, SBNC’s Mobile Dental Clinic (Smile Van) has provided services to just over 2,000 students. Additionally, the Dental Outreach Program has provided dental kits and oral hygiene education to over 7,000 students.
SBNC’s dental services continue to expand, as the organization is now also providing mobile dental services to schools in the Carpinteria Unified School District, in addition to the many schools and sites already served.
Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics (SBNC)-We strive in our mission to provide high-quality, comprehensive, affordable healthcare to all people, regardless of their ability to pay, in an environment that fosters respect, compassion, and dignity. For more information, visit http://www.sbclinics.org
