G-2304-18091

Nizhoni Smiles, Inc. (Nizhoni Smiles), is in Shiprock, New Mexico, on the Navajo reservation, and serves patients living in the Four Corners. The clinic is the only 501(c)(3) nonprofit dental clinic in the area and provides professional services at the lowest possible cost to rural communities. Shiprock has a population of just under 10k with 92% identifying as American Indian/Alaska Native.

This is Nizhoni’s Smiles’ first grant proposal submission to CareQuest Institute and the request was submitted to the Emergent and Relief fund as an Urgent Needs request for replacement equipment at the clinic. Specifically, the clinic is looking to replace an adult sensor, a pediatric sensor, an apex locator, five hand pieces, and one surgical handpiece. The previously held equipment was originally received as a donation, but has since become unreasonably expensive to repair, hence the grant request for their replacement.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Nizhoni Smiles has faced challenges to staffing and declining visits to the clinic since the pandemic, largely due to its rural location and poor operating efficiency cause by the outdated tools, but there were more than 5,500 patient visits in 2019 and the increased quality of care that results from these equipment replacements will support the clinic’s ability to meet more patients and their needs.