February may be National Children’s Dental Health Month, but KKV’s dedicated dental team is hard at work every day caring for Kalihi youth.  Program founder, Dr. David Breese built in a strong infrastructure and set of values that prioritize community, aloha, and sustainability. He believed that no one person can be excellent alone, as it takes a community with a collective effort to educate and care for the kids. Towards the end of his career, Dr. Breese reflected, “Over the years, our team went from thinking of themselves as a dental clinic that treats dental disease in the chair, to a program that works together with our community to provide services, knowledge, and even skills.” 

For almost 30 years, KKV has been providing sealants to kids, protecting teeth from decay in a state that does not fluoridate the water. Today, the dental team is known across Kalihi for the Dental Bus program that treats kids at school and during the school day.  This program was founded by KKV’s Dental Director, Dr. Jason Hiramoto, in 2014. Almost from the start, parents were eager to sign up for the free dental care. Today, KKV operates two mobile dental clinics at five elementary schools and two middle schools. The program is critical to establishing healthy cleaning and care practices for kids at an early age. 

KKV’s Dental program is unique in Hawaiʻi, having long ago created a training program for dental students with New York University’s Langone School. This program supports the shortage of dentists on island and gives dental residents a chance to learn about KKV. 

The legacy of Dr. Breese continues and we are grateful to the work and commitment of KKV’s dental team.