LAWNDALE, Calif. – Going to the dentist as a kid can be a scary experience. Thirteen-year-old Melinda Pruitt and her younger siblings have found it easier going to the South Bay Children's Health Center. 

"I've been to this dentist for a long time so I've been able to be comfortable with the people around me," said Melinda.

Melinda is here with her dad and sister for a regular cleaning, but after coming here for seven years, today's visit is different. 

Because of COVID-19, the waiting room is now outside and temperatures are taken before entering the office.  

With rising COVID-19 cases in California, Melinda worries the pandemic could force the dentist to close again, which would put her teeth in jeopardy, stalling her six-month checkups. 

"I'm probably going to be scared, just to make sure that my teeth are healthy and that my mouth is healthy and it's clean," she said.

Melinda, like roughly 85 to 90 percent of patients that the South Bay Children's Health Center sees every year, is on Denti-Cal.

Denti-Cal is dental insurance available through Medicaid.

This clinic is one of the 20 percent of dental offices that accepts this insurance. Without it, children like Melinda would be left without many options for high-quality care.

Sometimes, children may not even see a dentist until later on.

"When I see a new patient at the office, it's not uncommon that they may be five, six, years old, and it's their first visit to the dentist, and that's really unfortunate because dentistry is all about prevention," said Dr. Megha Sata.

Dr. Sata is the clinic's dental director, and says for low-income families, dental care can be a luxury.

The clinic is a non-profit that's been around since 1947.

Denti-Cal doesn't cover their entire cost of care, so their success relies heavily on donors and fundraising. 

After closing for two months due to the pandemic, their costs have risen.

"I predict that the need is just going to rise for clinics like ours that take uninsured patients and take patients on Medicaid. And unfortunately we had to cancel our 5K that is our biggest fundraiser of the year," said Dr. Sata.

The clinic is pivoting to hold its 5K virtually in an effort to maintain its 73-year legacy in this time of COVID-19.

As Melinda finishes up her appointment, she leaves with a clean bill of health.

"My teeth feel great, the dentist brushed my teeth for me, flossed it," she said.

But with the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, nothing can be taken for granted. 

Melinda hopes in six months time, she'll be back for her regular cleaning, and back at her regular dentist.