A mobile unit rolled into towns across the Rio Grande Valley in 1996 and made children healthier along the way.
A small group of local dentists applied for funding from the Community Development Block Grant program and gathered donations in launching Dentists Who Care, a nonprofit group. They also gathered a group of volunteer dentists committed to “Bridging Smiles. Transforming Lives,” a motto seen on dentistswhocare.org. The dentists took time from their busy practices to deliver dental care to underserved communities.
“They went to colonias and rural areas from Brownsville to Rio Grande City to Port Isabel and South Padre Island,” said Norma Guevara, the organization’s executive director.
The dental group formed partnerships with local school districts to identify children with dental needs whose families were uninsured and lacked financial resources for services. Much has changed over the past 30 years. The mobile unit is no longer rolling around the RGV, but the organization is stronger than ever.
“Dentists Who Care celebrating 30 years in 2026 is a reflection of something much bigger than an organization,” said Saam Zarrabi, a dentist and president of the organization. “It represents a dental community across the Rio Grande Valley that has remained deeply committed to its people.”
Zarrabi said the 30th anniversary milestone is not only about longevity. It represents a sustained commitment by providers who believe that oral health is not a luxury but a foundational part of good health and dignity. Dentists Who Care transitioned to a SMILE Voucher Program that provides free and urgent dental care to elementary school-aged children in need.
As part of SMILE, dentists would no longer have to leave their practices for an entire day and are able to utilize their staff as they treat patients. The nonprofit now treats children and adults, and the process has been perfected over the years.
Identifying The Need
The need for care usually starts with a cavity or severe tooth pain.
The person in pain – or the parent if it’s a child – completes an application that is available on the Dentists Who Care website, or can call the DWC office at 956- 318-3383. Then the work begins to identify which of the nearly 200 participating dentists has a practice near the person in need so care can be promptly provided.
“Let’s say the total care for that patient is $1,700,” Guevara said. “We reimburse the dentist $300 with the SMILE voucher, and the dentist’s donation is the difference.”
The care provided may be a filling, a crown, a bridge, a root canal or perhaps treatment for gum disease. The dental group in adding underinsured patients recognizes that out-of-pocket costs for many people with dental coverage can still be cost-prohibitive.
‘Testament To Partnerships’
Guevara became the DWC’s new executive director in January and is currently revamping the website.
An intern from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is ramping up DWC’s social media presence. The organization can now be found on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and LinkedIn. The organization also has a new logo featuring a person’s wrists pressed together, with hands cupped vertically, creating a space in the middle. A tooth rests in that space with a heart in its center.
The DWC’s rebranding season is in full bloom, and the nonprofit is seeking more dentists to join them. For example, there is a need for dentists in Rio Grande City and Roma so patients from Starr County do not have to travel all the way to Mission for care. Dentists from across the Valley are encouraged to heed DWC’s call.
“The 30-year anniversary is also a testament to partnerships,” Zarrabi said. “We have worked alongside hospitals, physicians, community health centers, schools and local leaders to ensure oral health is integrated into comprehensive healthcare.”
Making An Impact
True impact, he says, happens when dentistry is not isolated but connected, with collaboration to care for the whole person. This highlights another call to action.
“We are trying to get more specialists, like endodontists and oral surgeons,” Guevara said.
Donations are always needed alongside grant funding the organization is seeking. Grantors to the organization include Knapp Community Care Foundation, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas Inc., and Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation. Donations of any amount are welcomed with those open, cupped hands. On April 21 at 5 p.m., DWC will hold a ribbon cutting at its McAllen new office.
The public is invited to join in the celebration. While DWC will have a formal celebration of its 30-year anniversary at a later date, the ribbon cutting is like a preview.
“Ultimately, this anniversary belongs to the dentists, their teams and our health care partners who have made access, compassion and community health a shared responsibility for 30 years, and who remain committed to the decades ahead,” Zarrabi said.
