City Heights Dental Clinic Seeks Volunteers and Donations

Cura Smiles provides free dental care to underserved San Diego residents.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 11:27pm

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A translucent, ghostly X-ray image of a human jaw, with the teeth and bone structure glowing against a dark background, conceptually illustrating the clinical nature of dental care.An X-ray view reveals the intricate inner workings of the human mouth, highlighting the critical dental care provided by the Cura Smiles clinic.San Diego Today

A pro bono dental clinic in San Diego's City Heights neighborhood, Cura Smiles, is seeking volunteer dentists, hygienists, and other dental professionals to expand its mission of providing free dental care to underserved populations, including the unsheltered and refugees. The clinic, founded in 2017, has delivered over $500,000 worth of free care to more than 300 patients in 2025 alone, thanks to a team of 46 volunteers.

Why it matters

Access to affordable dental care is a major challenge for many low-income and vulnerable residents in San Diego. Cura Smiles aims to fill this critical gap by offering free services to those who would otherwise go without, improving their oral health and overall well-being.

The details

Cura Smiles requires all volunteers to be licensed dental professionals who can work directly with patients in the clinic's dental operatories. The clinic is seeking general dentists, oral surgeons, prosthodontists, and other specialists to donate their time and expertise. They also need hygienists and other support staff. In addition to on-site volunteers, the clinic is also seeking dentists who can donate time from their own practices.

  • Cura Smiles was founded in 2017.
  • The clinic joined by volunteer coordinators Janet Simpson and Darlene McCarthy in 2019.
  • In 2025, Cura Smiles' 46 volunteers delivered over $500,000 worth of free dental care to more than 300 patients.

The players

Cura Smiles

A no-cost dental clinic in San Diego's City Heights neighborhood that provides free dental care to underserved populations, including the unsheltered and refugees.

Dr. Thomas Fitzpatrick

The founder of Cura Smiles, a Point Loma Nazarene graduate who previously provided dental care on teams in Mexico, Sri Lanka, and Nicaragua.

Janet Simpson

One of two volunteer coordinators at Cura Smiles, with decades of dentistry experience.

Darlene McCarthy

One of two volunteer coordinators at Cura Smiles, with decades of dentistry experience.

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What they’re saying

“In the beginning we thought it was all about teeth, and it has become so clear that it is about more than teeth. It is about human heart and people who just need hope and people who care for them, and they need to feel seen, and heard, and loved.”

— Janet Simpson, Volunteer Coordinator, Cura Smiles

“All of our volunteers need to be professionals, so just having people come in — that's difficult. They have to go through infection control, they have to go through OSHA, and they have to understand dentistry.”

— Darlene McCarthy, Volunteer Coordinator, Cura Smiles

“We need volunteer dentists —we need general dentists, we need oral surgeons, prosthodontists… Nothing fancy, we're just getting people out of pain and functioning again.”

— Darlene McCarthy, Volunteer Coordinator, Cura Smiles

What’s next

Cura Smiles is actively recruiting volunteer dentists, hygienists, and other dental professionals to join their team and provide free care to underserved San Diego residents. Those interested can learn more about how to get involved on the clinic's website.

The takeaway

Cura Smiles' mission extends beyond just dental care, as the clinic aims to provide hope, dignity, and a sense of being seen and heard to its vulnerable patients. By recruiting more volunteer dental professionals, the clinic can continue expanding its life-changing work in the City Heights community.