Fish for Teeth, the Friday Harbor-based non-profit that provides dental care for those who cannot afford it, has provided dental services not only to members of the San Juan Island community but also to residents of San Juan County in the last few years. Since 2021, Fish for Teeth has treated more than 1,200 patients in more than 100 clinic days spread between San Juan Island, Orcas, and Lopez, according to the Fish for Teeth website. Due to changes in its funding structure, this year the non-profit will return to its original model of providing quality dental services to members of the San Juan Island community through an entirely local volunteer base and new funding sources.
Fish for Teeth has been serving the community for a long time before it grew to provide countywide coverage. San Juan Island resident and commercial fisherman Matt Marinkovich founded the organization in 2007 after witnessing firsthand the need for accessible dental care. Marinkovich was at Friday Harbor Elementary School where his children attend when he was approached by a nine-year-old girl who wanted to show him her mouth full of cavities.
“It was quite surprising. I went home and talked to him [my wife] and well, it was something that kind of stuck in my head,” said Marinkovich. “We were like, ‘What about that?’ So we started Fish for Teeth.”
The organization has assembled a five-member board of commercial fishermen, dental professionals and community members, including Matt and his wife, Maureen Markinkovich. Matt’s original vision was to use any excess fish harvest from his work to make and sell a product that would fund the non-profit. They began selling fish tacos several times throughout the year to raise money for the cause, relying on local volunteers and organizations to provide support and help with taco sales.
During this fundraising season, the Fish for Teeth board became aware of Medical Teams International, a 501 c3 charitable organization that operates a mobile dental van in major cities in Washington and Oregon. The board saw this as a great opportunity to bring dental care to Friday Harbor, and in January 2012, the Medical Teams International Mobile Dental Van made its first visit to the island, and continues to visit the island several times a year to in three to three years. four day clinics. Through 2020, Fish for Teeth will use funds raised from fish taco fundraisers and donations to bring the dental van to the island, and rely on local dental professionals and community volunteers to provide dental services and coordinate scheduling and utilization.
In 2021, Fish for Teeth partnered with San Juan County Health and Community Services (HCS) to receive three years worth of grant funding from the North Sound Oral Health Local Impact Network (LIN) funded by the Arcora Foundation, and partners in the community to provide dental care to Apple Health (Medicaid) clients who are uninsured and unable to access care. A public private partnership with the San Juan Island Community Foundation, the San Juan Rotary Club, the Honeywell Foundation, the Orcas Island Community Foundation, the Orcas Community Resource Center, and the Lopez Island Family Resource Center has expanded dental services to provide of 36 days of a Medical Teams International Mobile dental van throughout San Juan, Orcas, and Lopez Island. Dental services include oral health exams, cleanings, X-rays, fillings, tooth extractions, and dentures. In 3 years, the mobile dental van saw 1,212 patients and delivered $710,285 worth of dental services.
Funding from the original grant has reached its three-year expiration and Fish for Teeth is transitioning to a new model for providing dental care to San Juan Island residents. Kristen Rezabek, Health and Nutrition Program Coordinator for San Juan County, explained that the County received another additional year of LIN funding to assist with this transition.
“We will work with Fish for Teeth and local dental providers on San Juan Island to hold a multi-chair community dental clinic four times a year,” Rezabek said. “In Orcas, we are working with the Orcas Island Healthcare District, the Orcas Island Community Foundation, and the Orcas Community Resource Center to set up a monthly community dental clinic. An additional year of LIN funding and continued community partner support will help initiate and support community dental clinics, as we work toward establishing a County-wide oral health care program.” If any you have dental needs and are on Apple Health (Medicaid) or are uninsured and cannot afford dental care you can fill out the online application and you will be called when scheduling begins.
According to Marinkovich, these dental clinics will take the form of renting out a dental facility on the island for the day, with local dental professionals providing care instead of outsourced dentists. Additionally, the non-profit will tap into new sources of revenue outside of the fish tacos fundraiser, donations, and community partnerships. These new revenue sources include a penny press machine located in front of Friday Harbor Drug, and they will also be collecting Kings receipts, donating 1% of the total of each receipt to the organization.
“We’re trying to get some streamlined, steady income to help us do what we do. We are definitely in a transitional period…but I think so [the new plan] will work beautifully,” Marinkovich said.
The first dental clinic under this new structure is scheduled for April 20 and is fully booked with patients backlogged from previous clinics. The remaining clinics for this year are scheduled for June 1, September 20, and November 8, and residents can apply to receive care by visiting https://www.fishforteeth .com/application-c6rs. Although there is no income requirement, the organization aims to help those who do not have dental insurance or those whose insurance is not widely accepted on the island, and who otherwise have difficulty affording dental care and the costs incurred from travel off island for dental appointments.
As the Fish for Teeth team begins the transition to a more locally-based organization, the Marinkovichs are excited to return to a similar structure of volunteers and community support.
“We are always looking for more volunteers. Having new volunteers brings fresh awareness about what we do and [brings] more people, more street talk and more community involvement,” says Matt.
